Huzurnagar (Suryapet dist), April 7 (RAHNUMA): Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that extensive preparations are underway for smooth Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations during the Rabi marketing season targeting a procurement of 90 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
After a detailed on-ground assessment of paddy procurement issues at Huzurnagar market yard on Tuesday, the Minister said that the state government is fully gearing up for robust paddy procurement operations, aiming to reaching out to every farmer ensuring payments within 48 hours this Rabi season.
With Telangana’s Rabi paddy production projected to exceed 148 llakh metric tonnes, comprehensive arrangements have been made to handle the bumper harvest efficiently and protect farmers from distress sales.
Over 8,251 paddy purchase centres (PPCs) are being opened across all districts, supported by modern infrastructure, adequate storage facilities, and seamless logistics. More than 16 crore gunny bags have already been made available to ensure proper storage and movement of procured paddy. Every purchase centre will be placed under the direct supervision of a dedicated officer to monitor daily procurement, quality checks, timely payments, and overall transparency.
Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasised zero tolerance for any hurdles in paddy movement to the PPCs. He directed district administrations to accelerate the opening of all centres and facilitate uninterrupted transport of harvested paddy directly benefiting lakhs of farmers. Strict monitoring mechanisms are in place to prevent unauthorised diversion and guarantee MSP rates of Rs 2,369 per quintal for common grade and Rs 2,389 per quintal for fine varieties.
The Minister also assured steps to address challenges related to boiled rice (parboiled rice) procurement under the custom milled rice (CMR) scheme. He noted that the Centre has reduced the allocation quota for boiled rice, while rice millers have raised concerns over stricter norms regarding the permissible percentage of broken rice in supplies to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Millers have pointed out operational difficulties in meeting enhanced quality parameters.
Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that all these issues would be addressed through coordinated efforts involving the state government, millers, and the Union Food Ministry. The government will take up the matter strongly with the Centre to address the issues involved safeguarding the interests of both farmers and millers
He said that a Chief Minister -level review on paddy procurement will be held soon to further monitor progress and resolve any pending issues on the ground.
Recalling the historic achievement of the previous Kharif marketing season, where the state procured around 72 lakh metric tonnes— a record never before achieved in a single season by any state government in independent India — the minister said the Congress government’s farmer-centric policies have already delivered massive direct benefits to the state farmers. The goverment has remitted over Rs 19,500 crores directly to the accounts of farmers during the kharif marketing season.
The Minister reiterated that the entire procurement machinery, including logistics, storage, gunny bag distribution, and quality monitoring, is being fine-tuned for what could be another record-breaking Rabi season.
