HYDERABAD: A record 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy worth over Rs. 17,300 crore has been procured for MSP (minimum support price) from over 15 lakh farmers across the state, which is 28 lakh MTs higher than last year Rabi procurement.
Addressing media personnel here on Tuesday, Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation chairman Mareddy Srinivas Reddy said Rabi procurement this year, which concluded on Tuesday, is an all-time high record. He pointed out that since formation of Telangana state in 2014, Rabi procurement has increased by a whopping 594 per cent.
"Earlier, paddy production used to be higher in Kharif than Rabi. This had been the trend all these years. But now, this trend has reversed in Telangana, with Rabi yield surpassing Kharif. Increased irrigation facilities, 24x7 free power supply to agriculture, and Rythu Bandhu schemes of TS government have contributed to higher yield," the civic supplies chairman underlined.
He said in all, the corporation has purchased 4.84 crore metric tonnes of paddy worth Rs. 84,000 crore from farmers in Kharif and Rabi for MSP since formation of the state. He pointed out that during the first Rabi season in 2014, the corporation purchased 13.24 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. It has now increased by leaps and bounds to 92 lakh metric tonnes in Rabi 2021, amounting to 594 per cent increase; reflecting rapid growth of agriculture sector under the TRS regime.
Rabi procurement started in the first week of April with setting up of 6,968 purchase centres in all districts barring Hyderabad. The procurement went on for nearly three months.
