Hyderabad, May 29 (IANS) Telangana tops among all the states in India in paddy procurement during Rabi season, Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, said on Friday. The minister said Telangana has already procured 60 lakh tonnes of paddy, compared to about 24 lakh tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, 11-12 lakh tonnes in Tamil Nadu, 3 lakh tonnes in Maharashtra, and nearly 2 lakh tonnes in Kerala.

He told a press conference that Telangana is conducting what is arguably the most successful paddy procurement operation in the country, with procurement crossing 60 lakh tonnes till date and the State emerging as the undisputed national leader in Yasangi (Rabi) paddy procurement.

Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that Telangana has become the backbone of India’s food grain procurement system.

“Today, nearly 60 per cent of all paddy procured in India during the ongoing Yasangi season has come from Telangana alone. By the time procurement operations conclude, Telangana is expected to account for nearly 75 per cent of the country’s total Yasangi paddy procurement,” he said.

“Telangana is far ahead of every other state in paddy procurement. We are also the Number One State in supplying rice to the Food Corporation of India under the Central Pool mechanism,” he added.

Uttam Kumar Reddy described the ongoing procurement programme as a historic achievement unmatched anywhere in India. “The scale of procurement, transportation, payments and logistical mobilisation undertaken by Telangana is unprecedented. No state government in Independent India has carried out procurement operations of this magnitude while ensuring such extensive support to farmers,” he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that while the Central Government had agreed to procure only up to 52 lakh tonnes from Telangana, the State had already crossed the 60 lakh tonnes mark.

“The scale of procurement undertaken by Telangana has exceeded the Centre’s prescribed limit by 115 per cent. This reflects both the extraordinary production levels achieved by our farmers and the Congress Government’s unwavering commitment to protecting farmer interests,” he said.

The minister said paddy cultivation during Yasangi 2025-26 covered 64.36 lakh acres, resulting in an estimated production of 141 lakh metric tonnes.

He said procurement operations were being intensified further and would preferably be completed before the onset of the southwest monsoon, forecast during the first week of June.

Expressing concern over the Centre’s procurement policy, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana’s paddy production has been increasing steadily year after year since the Congress Government assumed office.

“Every year and every crop season, rice production in Telangana is growing. Yet, despite this increase in production, the quantity of rice being accepted by the Centre through FCI is being reduced. The Chief Minister and I have repeatedly raised this issue with the Union Government,” he said.

The Minister noted that Telangana has become one of India’s largest producers and procurers of paddy and deserves procurement allocations commensurate with its production levels.

To ensure smooth procurement, the State Government established 8,575 procurement centres, deployed nearly 13,000 transport vehicles, and mobilised over two lakh personnel for procurement, transportation and logistics operations.

MSP payments amounting to Rs. 11,050 crore have already been credited directly into farmers’ bank accounts.

The minister said that under the ongoing KMS 2025-26, covering both Kharif and Yasangi procurement cycles, procurement-related operations and farmer payments have reached unprecedented levels, involving nearly Rs. 39,300 crore.

Referring to recent unseasonal rains, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government had acted swiftly to protect farmers from losses.

Special arrangements enabled the transportation of 10,214 tonnes of rain-soaked paddy to boiled rice mills, ensuring that affected farmers received MSP payments without hardship.

“Not a single farmer should suffer losses because of adverse weather conditions. We have ensured that farmers receive MSP and that procurement continues uninterrupted,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar strongly criticised BJP and BRS leaders for what they described as their “politically motivated campaign” over paddy procurement, asserting that the ongoing procurement drive was unparalleled in Telangana’s history both in scale and execution.

–IANS

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