With farmers finding it difficult to sell or stock overflowing produce from rabi season, Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh , has asked the Union Government to allocate funds for construction of godown space to store at least 20 lakh tonnes of food grains.
In a letter on Monday to Prof. K V Thomas, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the Chief Minister said the additional space of 20 lakh tonnes would go a long way in providing sufficient space to store levy rice in the State.
“The Centre has allowed export of 10 lakh tonnes of non-basmati rice to ease pressure on warehouses. But keeping in view high levels of production, we need to have additional godown space to let Food Corporation of India accept levy rice from millers who in turn would take more paddy from farmers,” he said.
"Rice production in the State has gone up substantially to 140 lakh tonnes in 2010-11 from 104 lakh tonnes in the previous year. The FCI could not manage the sudden spurt in rice arrivals. This in turn is adversely impacting paddy purchases, causing hardships to farmers,” the Chief Minister said.
Andhra Pradesh was sanctioned godown space of 5.56 lakh tonnes as against 51 lakh tonnes for Punjab. About 95 per cent of paddy in Andhra Pradesh was procured by millers from farmers unlike the direct procurement in States like Punjab.