HYDERABAD: At a time when Telangana is all set to see 1.3 crore tonnes of paddy production from the just-concluded Kharif season, the Centre’s reiteration that it would procure only 60 lakh tonnes (40 lakh tonnes of rice) may further exacerbate the already volatile situation in the State. This means that the State would have to find ways to dispose of the remaining 43 lakh tonnes of paddy, which is easier said than done.
A day after his missive to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to take steps for procurement of 90 per cent of the Kharif paddy, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, as announced, sat in a Maha Dharna at Indira Park on Thursday where he flayed the Centre for remaining insensitive to the farmers’ predicament.
In the morning even as dharna was in progress, the officials of the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs elaborated on the Centre’s stand on procurement of foodgrains at Delhi which did not answer any of the questions that the Chief Minister had raised in his letter to the Prime Minister. The Chief Minister demanded that the Prime Minister take steps for the announcement of targets for procurement for Kharif and Rabi produce at the beginning of the agriculture year itself so that the State could advise the farmers accordingly.
The Chief Minister also sought procurement of five lakh tonnes of parboiled rice that lay unlifted at rice mills from the previous Rabi season and enunciation of a policy to procure 90 per cent of Kharif produce as the Centre had the responsibility of ensuring food security to the nation.
The officials in the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, responding to the State’s demands, said that they cannot announce how much Rabi rice would be taken (assuming Telangana would offer raw rice from Rabi rather than parboiled rice) since the season has not begun yet and the Centre was yet to hold talks with States to assess the expected production of raw rice and how much of it could be lifted.
The sources in the ministry made no bones about not taking parboiled rice from Telangana and also suggested to all States that it would be in the interests of the farmers if they grow less paddy and wheat and switch over to pulses and oilseeds.
They said that since the Centre already has enough of even raw rice, stocking additional rice would be a problem as it entails enormous godown space. The decision to go slow in the procurement of raw rice and wheat was taken after considering the domestic requirement and the quantum that could be exported. The Centre advised the States, including Telangana to grow paddy or any other crop only as much as it could procure.
‘GoI has enough rice’
Officials in the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs said that since the Centre already has enough of even raw rice, stocking additional rice would be a problem as it entails enormous godown space