Hyderabad, June 6 (RAHNUMA): Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday unveiled a comprehensive roadmap for the rice milling sector while promising policy support for upgradation of mills.
Addressing the International Rice and Grains Tech Expo-2026 at HITEX, Hyderabad, he said Telangana had already become India’s leading paddy-producing and paddy-procuring State and should now aim to become a global leader in rice technology and value addition.
Describing rice millers as partners in Telangana’s progress, the Minister said the government wanted farmers, millers and consumers to benefit together from the State’s agricultural growth
Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the government was examining a new incentive policy to encourage the establishment of export-oriented rice mills in Telangana.
He said new rice mills set up for exports and existing mills converting their operations towards exports would be considered for special incentives to boost Telangana’s presence in global rice markets.
Highlighting labour shortages faced by the rice industry, Uttam Kumar Reddy urged millers to adopt greater mechanisation and automation.
He said modern machinery could help reduce dependence on manual labour, improve productivity and address recurring worker shortages that affect milling operations during peak seasons.
The Minister called for large investments in modern grain storage infrastructure, including steel silos, automated storage systems, AI-based grain monitoring and digital inventory management.
He invited private investors to come forward with proposals for building large-capacity storage facilities through public-private partnership models.
Uttam Kumar Reddy urged the industry to adopt water-saving and energy-efficient technologies in parboiling plants.
Future processing units, he said, should focus on reducing water consumption, recycling water and improving environmental sustainability.
The Minister asked millers to move beyond quality -based processing and focus on nutrition.
He highlighted technologies such as controlled whitening, precision polishing, nutrient-retention systems and AI-based quality assessment that can help produce healthier rice.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was producing nearly 300 lakh metric tonnes of paddy annually and currently accounted for nearly 60 per cent of India’s Rabi paddy procurement.
He said the State government had transferred nearly Rs 39,000 crore to farmers during the current Kharif and Rabi procurement seasons and over Rd 96,000 crore since the Congress government assumed office.
The Minister also highlighted the government’s fine-rice distribution programme benefiting 3.2 crore people, with an annual expenditure of around Rs 14,000 crore.
Calling for a joint effort by farmers, millers, technology providers and policymakers, Uttam said Telangana had already become a leader in paddy production and procurement and should now strive to become a global centre for rice technology, innovation and exports.
