VIJAYAWADA: The Kerala Government has expressed its willingness to purchase 72,000 tonnes of Jaya variety rice from the AP government. However, both the governments are yet to strike a deal as price negotiations are still going on. Ahead of Onam celebrations, Kerala Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman came to the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi on Thursday and met Revenue Minister K E Krishna Murthy and Civil Supplies Minister P Pulla Rao and sought the AP government to supply the rice to Kerala.
Saying that Kerala with thick population has its own limitations to set apart more land for paddy cultivation and is depending largely on allocation from the Central pool, Thilothaman urged the AP government to supply Jaya variety rice being produced in Twin Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts of AP to Kerala. Thilothaman said that as there is no tie-up between government of Kerala and government of AP in the matter, private individuals, mainly the rice merchants, are taking undue advantage of the situation and selling rice at exorbitant prices after paying less money to farmers in AP.
He underscored the need to have a government-to-government communication to supply rice to Kerala.
Krishna Murthy and Pulla Rao said that the Kerala government sought AP to supply Jaya variety rice at Rs35 per kg.
However, with rice millers citing that the cost of each kg will be around Rs 44 per kg, the price sought by Kerala government is not viable and the ministers decided to conduct another meeting to take a final call over the issue. The ministers of AP and Kerala opined that an understanding between the Civil Supplies Corporation of both the states regarding the supply of rice will help elimination of middlemen and ensure benefit the farmers of AP. The Kerala Minister, though, initially sought AP to supply 6,500 tonnes of rice ahead of Onam festival, however, said that they will purchase 72,000 metric tonnes of rice per year after striking a deal.