HYDERABAD: Even before the implementation of farm laws, private operators and rice millers seem to have procured more paddy than the Civil Supplies Department. While low procurement is being attributed to farmers cultivating sannalu (superfine variety), the Civil Supplies Department has procured 44.69 lakh metric tonnes (LMT). However, according to Rice Millers Association president Gampa Govardhan, the Telangana rice millers bought more than what the State government had procured and their counterparts from the neighbouring States too bought paddy directly from the farmers.
In the wake of the implementation of farm laws, the State government is gearing up to do away with procurement centres from the next season. Before the commencement of paddy procurement for the current vanakalam (kharif) season, the State government has set a target of procuring 85.69 LMT. However, it seems to have achieved only half that target.
Till date, the Civil Supplies Department procured 44.69 LMT from 10.18 lakh farmers through 6,497 procurement centres, paying a total of `7,287 crore. As many as 3,987 procurement centres were already closed as the procurement was completed in few districts. The procurement is being continued in the erstwhile districts of Warangal, Khammam, Mahbubnagar and Adilabad.
A highly-placed source in the Civil Supplies Department on the condition of anonymity said that the estimation was made as per the reports of the Agriculture Department. However, the yield was reduced due to untimely rains and change in the variety of cultivated crop, he added.“The farmers are at liberty to sell their produce wherever they get a good price. We are getting reports that even rice millers from neighbouring States are procuring paddy from the farmers,” he said.
High demand
Earlier, farmers suffered losses as the Civil Supplies Department refused to procure the superfine paddy. Rice millers bought the food grains by paying less than the MSP set by the Centre. However, as the demand rose, farmers began getting MSP for their produce