As the procurement season comes to an end, Telangana has procured 45 lakh tonnes (lt) of paddy from about 10.20 lakh farmers.
An interesting feature of this year’s procurement is that traders from the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra had bought sizeable volumes of fine variety paddy as the production in those States was impacted by natural calamities and other reasons.
They offered a very good price as they bought 13-14 lt of paddy. They paid up to ₹1,900-2,400 a quintal, official sources said.
However, farmers alleged that it was traders who got the maximum benefit from this higher price. The State’s Civil Supplies Department spent ₹8,500 crore to procure the commodity. The State’s procurement figure fell short of the initial target of 85 lt.
Target cut down
However, the target was cut down to 75 lt as untimely rains caused damages to the crop in several districts of the State, resulting in reduced yields in some districts.
The State pegged the kharif produce at 1.30 crore tonnes. After factoring in the local consumption needs and purchases by millers, they targeted to procure 85 lt.
“We have so far procured 45 lt of paddy worth ₹8,500 crore, including 18 lt of fine variety and 27 lt of coarse variety, through 6,500 paddy procurement centres that we opened for the season,” an official of the Civil Supplies Corporation, has said.
“We have already disbursed ₹7,267 crore so far. We will complete the disbursals shortly,” he said.