NTR District Opens Helpline for Paddy Procurement

Vijayawada: A dedicated helpline (7702003571) has been set up to assist farmers facing any issues related to paddy procurement, NTR district collector Dr G. Lakshmisha announced on Wednesday. He directed agriculture and civil supplies officials to ensure a transparent, hassle-free process under the state government’s flagship farmers’ welfare initiative, Rythanna–Mee Kosam.

Chairing a review meeting on Kharif (2025–26) paddy procurement with joint collector S. Ilakkiya at the Collectorate in Vijayawada, Dr Lakshmisha asked officials to work collectively to prevent delays or inconvenience to farmers. He stressed the importance of avoiding any shortage of gunny bags at procurement centres.

The collector instructed staff to encourage farmers to use the WhatsApp scheduling service (7337359375) for smoother coordination of paddy arrivals and to create awareness about the AP AIMS app, which offers multiple agricultural services. Field officers must guide farmers to download and use the app to benefit effectively from government schemes, he added.

Lakshmisha cautioned that any laxity in implementing major public welfare programmes would not be tolerated and warned of action against negligent officials. He also emphasised maintaining respect and courtesy while dealing with farmers.

Reviewing procurement progress, the collector said purchases commenced on October 17 through Rythu Seva Kendras (RSKs) across the district. So far, 20,818 metric tonnes of paddy worth ₹49.70 crore have been procured, with payments reaching farmers within 12 to 24 hours — and in some cases, within just six hours. He urged officials to speed up operations to meet the targets on time.

Looking ahead to the Rabi season, Lakshmisha directed officials to prepare urea requirement estimates in advance, based on last season’s usage and expanded crop areas, calculating exact needs at the mandal and village levels. He also called for promoting crop diversification by encouraging farmers to plant pulses and other crops alongside paddy to enhance profitability.