HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the farming community that the state government will complete paddy procurement by the second week of January 2025. He made the statement taking stock of the situation of paddy procurement during his surprise inspection of a procurement centre in his Huzurnagar Assembly constituency on Sunday.
The minister also quickly arranged the transport vehicles when the farmers brought the paddy transportation issues to his notice.
“Farmers should not face any inconvenience,” the minister directed the officials during his visit. He also examined the moisture content testing equipment and reviewed other arrangements at the centres to ensure operational efficiency.
Uttam said that the department has procured over 21.73 LMT of paddy, valued at Rs 5,040.01 crore as of Saturday. He underscored that the government has announced a bonus of Rs 283.25 crore, with Rs 80.17 crore already disbursed to 5.67 LMT superfine varieties (Sannaalu).
“Despite the Kaleshwaram project remaining non-functional, the state achieved a historic paddy production of 153 LMT from 66.07 lakh acres, cultivated by 40 lakh farmers. The government has taken several measures to ensure efficient procurement operations,” he said. He added that 20.76 LMT of paddy has already been shifted to mills, with efforts underway to clear the remaining 0.73 LMT from procurement centres. He said that Telangana’s success in agriculture is a testament to our farmer-centric policies.