HYDERABAD: Expecting no support from the Central government in procurement of various food grains, the State made all the efforts towards purchasing the foodgrains from farmers, while also giving a minimum support price.
Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy directed the officials concerned to see that no farmer in the State fails to receive the MSP for their produce.
The Minister, on Wednesday, directed the officials to make payments to farmers immediately after procuring the produce. He said that the Centre was giving an MSP for only certain crops leading to a vast variation between the procurement done by the Central government agencies and the actual production. The State government, in order to help the farmer, has been purchasing even the crop produces not covered under MSP, Niranjan Reddy said.
The Minister recalled that red gram was raised across 2,77,674 hectares in the State with a production of 2,99,888 tonnes. The Centre assured to procure only 70,300 tonnes. As the production of red gram was high this year, the State government spent `140.34 crore to purchase 24,729.92 tonnes of produce, the minister said.
Maize was raised in 4,61,645 acres and the expected production was 1,708,086.5 tonnes. But, the Centre failed to come forward to procure maize. The State government has so far procured 4,16,521 tonnes of maize.