Telangana Contributes 60 pc of National Yasangi Paddy Procurement: Uttam
Hyderabad, May 29 (TNT): Telangana has procured over 60 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy during the ongoing Yasangi season and now accounts for nearly 60 per cent of India’s total procurement, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat, the Minister said Telangana has emerged as the country’s leading paddy procuring state and is expected to contribute nearly 75 per cent of the national Yasangi procurement by the end of the season.
He said the State has already procured 60 LMT of paddy, compared to about 24 LMT in Andhra Pradesh, 11-12 LMT in Tamil Nadu, three LMT in Maharashtra and nearly two LMT in Kerala.
Claiming that Telangana remains the largest contributor to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice procurement system, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the State’s performance reflects both record agricultural output and the government’s commitment to protecting farmers’ interests.
The Minister pointed out that while the Centre had fixed a procurement ceiling of 52 LMT for Telangana, the State had already surpassed that figure by crossing the 60 LMT mark.
He said paddy cultivation during Yasangi 2025-26 covered 64.36 lakh acres, with estimated production touching 141 lakh metric tonnes.
Expressing concern over the Centre’s procurement policy, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana’s rice production has been increasing steadily, but FCI procurement allocations have not kept pace with the growth in production.
He said the State Government has repeatedly urged the Centre to enhance procurement allocations in line with Telangana’s rising contribution to the national food grain pool.
To ensure smooth procurement operations, the government established 8,575 procurement centres, deployed nearly 13,000 transport vehicles and mobilised more than two lakh personnel for procurement, transportation and logistics management.
The Minister said Minimum Support Price (MSP) payments amounting to ₹11,050 crore have already been credited directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
He further stated that procurement operations and farmer payments under the ongoing Kharif and Yasangi seasons of KMS 2025-26 have involved financial transactions of nearly ₹39,300 crore.
Referring to recent unseasonal rains, Uttam said the government had taken special measures to protect farmers from losses by transporting 10,214 metric tonnes of rain-affected paddy to boiled rice mills, ensuring that affected farmers received MSP without disruption.
Describing the procurement drive as a historic achievement, he said no other state had undertaken paddy procurement on such a scale while simultaneously ensuring extensive logistical and financial support to farmers.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who were also present, criticised BJP and BRS leaders for what they termed a politically motivated campaign on paddy procurement.
Tummala said the unprecedented increase in paddy production had created major logistical challenges, but the State Government had successfully ensured procurement of every grain brought by farmers.
He urged BJP leaders to press the Union Government to enhance Telangana’s procurement quota and FCI acceptance targets instead of criticising the State’s procurement operations.
TNT TS
