Telangana Sets Record With 8.54 LMT Paddy Procurement
- Uttam Kumar Reddy directs officials to ensure fast, safe procurement
- Telangana targets 80 lakh tonnes as farmers see record payments
Telangana has achieved a major milestone in paddy procurement for the Kharif 2025–26 season, with 8.54 lakh metric tonnes already purchased—more than twice the 3.94 lakh tonnes recorded at this time last year. Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the record during a statewide review meeting held through video conference with district collectors and officials on Monday.
Chief Secretary S. Ramakrishna Rao chaired the meeting from the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat, which was also attended by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra. The ministers directed officials to stay alert to weather conditions, ensure quick payments to farmers, and counter false information regarding procurement progress.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana had created history by setting a target to purchase 80 lakh tonnes of paddy in a single Kharif season, describing it as an achievement reflecting the strength of the farming sector and the government’s commitment to cultivators. He stated that 3.95 lakh tonnes of fine variety (sannalu) and 4.59 lakh tonnes of common variety (doddupaddy) had been procured so far. The total MSP value of paddy purchased stood at Rs 2,041.44 crore, of which Rs 832.90 crore had already been paid to farmers. The remaining Rs 1,208.54 crore would be cleared within 48 hours through the Online Procurement Management System (OPMS).
The Minister ordered collectors to ensure adequate tarpaulins at procurement centres, protect stored grain from rain, and share daily weather updates with farmers. He also instructed the immediate transfer of drenched paddy to boiled rice mills to prevent damage.
“Procurement is a sensitive process that must run smoothly from purchase to payment. Every grain must be safeguarded, and every farmer must be paid on time,” he said. Officials were also told to stay in high alert mode and take preventive measures to secure crops such as paddy, maize, and cotton.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao discussed cotton, maize, and soybean procurement with collectors, describing November as the most crucial month for operations. He noted that maize farmers welcomed the decision to raise the purchase ceiling from 18.5 quintals per acre to 25 quintals. He also emphasized that the state would urge the Central Government to raise cotton procurement limits from 7 to 12 quintals per acre and to allow the purchase of discoloured soybean affected by rains.
Tummala said the Monda cyclone caused crop losses in about 1.10 lakh acres, and the Agriculture Department has requested the Centre to relax moisture norms to ease procurement. Concluding the review, Uttam Kumar Reddy said 55 percent of total procurement is expected in the next four weeks and urged departments to work in full coordination. “Telangana has achieved a record in both production and procurement,” he said. “We are a farmers’ government, and every grain purchased and every rupee paid must reflect that commitment.”
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