The state government has appealed to the Centre to increase the Kharif rice procurement target for 2025-26 to 53.6 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice, which is equivalent to 80 LMT of paddy, to accomplish the goal of bumper harvest.
What does the minister state in the letter about Kharif rice procurement?
In a letter written to Union food minister Prahlad Joshi on Tuesday, Sept 30, Civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the Centre has sanctioned only 36 LMT of rice (53.73 LMT of paddy) under Kharif rice procurement for the current kharif marketing season. He sought immediate intervention to improve the quota and address various related issues pending with the Union Centre and Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Moreover, the minister noted that paddy procurement in Telangana had grown, and the state had been taking up kharif rice procurement operations on behalf of the Centre by availing bank loans and incurring heavy interest to safeguard the farmers from distress sales.
He further said: “Paddy production is estimated at 148.30 LMT with favourable monsoon conditions this season. Weakened export demand due to low international rice prices is likely to push more farmers to sell at procurement centres under MSP, necessitating a higher quota”. Not only this, but the minister also pointed out severe storage constraints. Around 21.72 LMT is occupied out of FCI’s total capacity of 22.61 LMT in Telangana, leaving just 0.89 LMT for ongoing deliveries. He stated that this has forced millers to stop operations, leading to a loss of work for labourers. He requested the hiring of additional godowns or the allocation of more rakes to move stocks to other states.