With a record 54.89 lakh acres under Rabi cultivation and an estimated output of 127 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs), the government has set a target of procuring 70 LMTs of paddy through a vast network of 8,381 procurement centres across the state.
Hyderabad: Civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state government was ready to spend over Rs 15,000 crore to ensure smooth, timely and dignified procurement of paddy during the ongoing Rabi season. Uttam, along with agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao, held a video conference with the district collectors on Wednesday to review procurement progress and address field-level challenges.
He described paddy procurement as the most important and prestigious task of the state government for the next 15 to 20 days. With a record rabi cultivation spanning 54.89 lakh acres and an expected output of 1.27 crore tonnes, the government aims to procure around 70 lakh tonnes through 8,381 paddy procurement centres (PPCs) across all districts.
The video conference, held from the civil supplies department headquarters, was coordinated by principal secretary and civil supplies commissioner D.S. Chauhan. Discussions focused on procurement timelines, weather disruptions, logistical bottlenecks and payment mechanisms.
Addressing the collectors, the minister said the government was committed to ensuring a hassle-free procurement experience for farmers. “This is the government’s most sensitive programme right now. It not only protects farmers’ interests but also tied to the government’s credibility,” he said. “If any issue remains unresolved, call the commissioner. If needed, call me directly. We are ready to step in at any moment.”
Uttam informed that the Rs 15,000 crore allocation covers the minimum support price (MSP) and bonus payments. “Once PPCs upload procurement data, payment must reach farmers within 48 hours. I will speak to the finance department to ensure immediate release of the bonus,” he added.
As of April 29, over 23 lakh tonnes had reached procurement centres, with 19.60 lakh tonnes already purchased from about 2.55 lakh farmers. Payments worth Rs 2,289.81 crore have been credited to farmers’ accounts against an MSP value of Rs 4,545.72 crore, with the rest under process. A bonus of Rs 444.20 crore is also being readied.
To prevent weather-related losses, district-level rainfall forecasts are being issued daily at 6 am and must be promptly shared with PPC staff and farmers. Farmers are advised to use sheds during heatwaves and ORS sachets are being distributed at centres. Uttam instructed collectors to ensure harvested paddy is protected from heat and rain, ensuring zero spoilage and inconvenience to farmers.
Regarding logistics, the minister said that in areas without godowns, paddy should be moved directly to mills with capacity. While intermediate godowns remain an option, timely lifting from PPCs must be prioritised to avoid backlogs or negative publicity. He directed the civil supplies commissioner to allocate 10 lakh tonnes of storage space in advance where required.
Transport and labour issues were also raised at the meeting. The minister asked collectors to coordinate with SPs and RTOs to mobilise private lorries for swift paddy movement. Labour shortages must be handled locally, and technical settings on harvesters—such as blowers, RPM and gear snouts—must be checked to maintain grain quality.
Regarding gunny bags, the minister said Telangana has already positioned 13.71 crore bags and is sourcing 3.79 crore more. He instructed that the bags should only be issued after verifying moisture levels at PPCs to avoid artificial shortages caused by direct field distribution.
Currently, 1,579 rice mills are engaged in custom milling rice (CMR) operations. Over 45 lakh tonnes of paddy have been allotted to them. Surplus from high-yield districts is being redirected to nearby districts with milling capacity to maintain balance and efficiency.
