Telangana registered a record procurement of 77.50 lakh tonnes of paddy in 2018-19. Despite unfavourable weather last year, the State managed to achieve this figure, which is 23.50 lakh tonnes more than the number for 2017-18.

The State claims this is the second-highest procurement level for paddy after Punjab.

“We have procured 77.50 lakh tonnes of paddy worth ₹13,675 crore from 14.73 lakh farmers. This is the highest procurement level so far since the formation of the State,” a Telangana Civil Supplies Department official has said.

The Department paid ₹1,770 a quintal of Grade-A paddy and ₹1,750 for the general variety.

Farmer friendly schemes

While 8.10 lakh farmers sold 40.50 lakh tonnes in the Kharif season, 6.64 lakh farmers contributed 37 lakh tonnes in the Rabi season.

The State purchased the produce from about 3,500 procurement centres.

“The State could achieve this because of various measures taken to improve the primary sector. Schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and free power supply to farmers and additional irrigation facilities have contributed to the increased procurement,” Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said.

“Within five years after the formation, we could achieve this and stand next only to Punjab,” the Minister said.

“We have developed a software solution that sends information about collection centres and other relevant information to farmers through messages,” he said.

Past records

Telangana procured 24.28 lakh tonnes of paddy in 2014-15, the first year after the formation of the State, by spending ₹3,390 crore.

The procurement level had come down in the following year to 23.56 lakh tonnes in 2015-16.

In the year after that, the State had doubled its procurement figure to 53.69 lakh tonnes. This, however, remained stagnant in 2017-18.