Telangana Set to Produce Record 148 Lakh Tonne Paddy, Says Minister Uttam
The meeting was attended by newly appointed Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra and senior department officers.
Hyderabad: Civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was poised to produce 148.3 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy during the Kharif (Vanakalam) 2025-26 season, which is a record in independent India. Compared to this, the state had produced 72 LMT of paddy in 2019-20.
Stating that the record output reflected irrigation-led transformation, a modern procurement mechanism, and strong political will, the minister said the Civil Supplies Corporation would procure 80 LMT of paddy during the season at a total cost of Rs 21,112 crore, of which Rs 19,112 crore would go directly towards Minimum Support Price (MSP) payments to farmers.
Chairing a review meeting with senior officials of the Civil Supplies Department on the ongoing Kharif paddy procurement operations on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana’s growth in agriculture reflected not only the success of irrigation expansion but also the efficiency of procurement and delivery systems put in place.
The meeting was attended by newly appointed Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra and senior department officers.
He said the Centre must immediately release the pending rice subsidy of Rs 6,500 crore to Telangana to help the government sustain timely MSP payments. “Farmers have full confidence in the government’s procurement system, and it is our responsibility to ensure that payments reach them promptly,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy added that the government would continue the Rs 500 per quintal bonus for fine paddy, for which the total requirement of funds for the full year (Rabi and Kharif) stood at Rs 3,159 crore. The bonus, he noted, had encouraged farmers to shift to fine-grain paddy, which is now being exported.
The minister expressed serious concern over the shortage of storage space, noting that out of 22.61 LMT of godown capacity with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), nearly 21.72 LMT was already occupied, leaving barely 0.89 LMT vacant. Around 20 LMT of boiled rice was lying idle in FCI godowns, he said, and urged the Centre to facilitate the movement of boiled rice to consuming states immediately.
“We have written several times to the Union minister consumer affairs, food and public distribution, and to FCI CMD requesting additional railway rakes for stock movement. Unless the Centre cooperates, procurement operations will face logistical bottlenecks,” he warned.
The minister said Telangana had requested the Centre to consider urgent measures to ensure smooth procurement and storage operations, which include enhancement of the boiled rice target by 10 LMT under the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25 to match the state’s production capacity.
He also asked the Centre to extend the deadline for Rabi 2024-25 rice deliveries by three months beyond October 31, as about 19.76 LMT of rice — comprising 14.47 LMT of raw rice and 5.29 LMT of boiled rice — are yet to be delivered.
The minister also asked the Centre to approve lifting 9.43 LMT of unallotted fine paddy procured beyond the Centre’s target under the state pool rice mechanism and release of the pending rice subsidy of Rs 6,500 crore.
“These are legitimate demands,” the minister said. “Telangana has exceeded national benchmarks in rice production, and we expect proportional support from the Centre to ensure smooth procurement, storage, and movement.”
Record harvest
67.57 lakh acres cultivated with paddy this season
40.75 lakh acres under fine varieties
90.46 lakh metric tonne (LMT) sanna biyyam expected
26.82 lakh acres under coarse varieties
57.84 lakh tonnes of doddu varieties expected
Total output of 148.3 LMT is a record in independent India.
