No Coarse Grain Procurement in Konaseema, Centre Tells Lok Sabha

NELLORE: The Union government informed the Lok Sabha that no procurement of coarse grains was carried out in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, while limited procurement took place in select districts over the past two years.

Replying to an unstarred question by Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy and Amalapuram MP G.M. Harish Balayogi, minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution N. Jayantibhai Bambhaniya said procurement in the state is handled by the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (APSCSCL).

Data presented in the House showed that jowar and ragi were procured mainly from YSR Kadapa, Anantapur, Alluri Sitharama Raju and Sri Satya Sai districts during the kharif and rabi seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25. However, no procurement was reported in Nellore in most seasons and none in Konaseema.

The government said multiple procurement centres were set up across districts during the seasons, while storage was managed through hired warehouses, including in Nandyal, with full utilisation of capacity.

The Centre stated that no specific study had been conducted on challenges faced by states in coarse grain procurement. However, it outlined several measures taken in recent years to strengthen the millet value chain.

These include revised procurement guidelines in 2021, extension of millet shelf life up to 10 months, enabling inter-state transport of surplus stocks through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), and increased administrative charges to incentivise procurement.

In 2023, the government also expanded the scope of millet procurement under the MSP scheme by including six minor millets — foxtail, proso, kodo, little millet, buckwheat and amaranthus — for a period of three years.

The measures are aimed at boosting millet procurement and supporting farmers, particularly in states such as Andhra Pradesh.