Uttam Calls For Exploring New Avenues For The Export Of Telangana Rice
The minister tasked the university officials to prepare a draft policy which would enable the government to explore the potential markets for export of rice
Hyderabad: Civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday directed officials to identify new avenues for exporting rice from Telangana and disposing of the stocks held by the Civil Supplies Corporation after the record procurement of 72 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy achieved during the Kharif marketing season.
He was speaking at a review meeting with senior scientists from the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) and officials of the civil supplies and agriculture departments. The meeting focused on dissecting the problems and charting a multi-pronged plan address the challenges being faced in procurement and disposal of paddy and rice.
The minister tasked the university officials to prepare a draft policy which would enable the government to explore the potential markets for export of rice as well as promotion of rice varieties that command both demand and better price in the export market. He emphasised that the state must be represented in every overseas forum that deals with the export of rice.
“We should organise a two-day meet, inviting representatives from countries keen on importing rice from the state. One more session with the representatives from the University and officials of the departments concerned will be held soon for brainstorming the scope for exporting rice by the state and also discuss policies for crop diversion,” Kumar Reddy noted.
The minister said he would seek the participation of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to make the session more fruitful.