Paddy Procurement by Second Week of 2026: Uttam

Nalgonda: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday said that paddy procurement for the Vanakalam crop season, which began on October 1, 2025, will be completed by the second week of 2026.

At a review meeting on paddy procurement held at the Integrated District Offices Complex (IDOC) in Bhongir, the minister said 8,342 paddy procurement centres would be set up across the state to purchase paddy directly from farmers. Of these, 3,517 centres will be managed by IKPs, 4,259 by PACS, and 566 by market yards. Currently, 1,205 centres have already started operations.

He said paddy cultivation this season covered 68.3 lakh acres, producing an estimated 148 lakh metric tonnes. The state government has made arrangements to procure 80 lakh tonnes of paddy — 40 lakh tonnes each of fine and coarse varieties — through the procurement centres. He directed officials to ensure adequate facilities and smooth arrangements at all centres for farmers bringing their produce.

The Minister noted that Telangana recorded historic levels of paddy production during the last three crop seasons under the Congress government, making it the highest paddy-producing state in the country. He credited this success to the state’s farmer-friendly agricultural policies.

Government Whip Beerla Ilaiah, Bhongir MLA Khumbam Anil Kumar, Thungathurthi MLA Mandula Samuel, civil supplies commissioner Stephen Ravindra, and district collector M. Hanumatha Rao also attended the review meeting.