Ending weeks of uncertainty and speculation, the Telangana Government has said it will procure paddy and ensure farmers get minimum support price (MSP) for paddy for the rabi produce.

“We are planning to introduce a regulated process wherein the farmers will be given coupons. They can go to the markets and sell their produce at the FCI procurement counters,” Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said.

Addressing the discussion on motion of thanks on the Governor’s speech on Wednesday, he said the Government would open procurement centres in the areas where Covid cases are high and in the hinterlands.

Initial estimates put the paddy output in the State in the rabi season at one crore tonnes, with the farmers growing the crop on a record area of 52 lakh acres.

“You need not worry about selling of the produce. I wish the situation will improve from next year and the farmers will be able to sell their produce at the marketyards,” he said.

Stating that he can’t talk much on an issue at it is sub-judice, he said there was overall uncertainty about the new (agri) laws. “We don’t which way it will go. The Supreme Court has stayed the laws,” he said.

“When Parliament makes a law, the States are obliged to follow it,” he said, arguing that there was no way the State can oppose the Central agri laws.

He alleged the successive governments at the Centre had encroached on State’s subjects in the Concurrent List.

He, however, said that the State would continue to run the marketing committees even if the Central laws called for elimination of such committees.

He said the State procured all of the produce from the kharif at the farm gate to help farmers during the Covid pandemic.

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