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With water from new projects such as Kaleshwaram augmenting irrigation resources in the State, Telangana’s paddy production has shot up to 1.05 crore tonnes this year from 66 lakh tonnes last year.
Next year, the State expects to double the production to 2 crore tonnes as the paddy area is expected to touch the 70-lakh acre mark from 47 lakh acres this year.
To tap the bountiful output, the State is preparing a Rice Policy, where the role of millers and other stakeholders such as godown space owners is expected to assume importance. It will rope in millers to process the additional paddy produce and double the godown space to store the milled rice.
After holding a review meeting on paddy on Monday, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said the State will draft a comprehensive Telangana State Paddy and Rice Policy. He asked officials to formulate the policy after discussions with stakeholders. “The Cabinet will discuss the draft policy and put it before the Assembly for ratification,” he said.
What’s changed
The State, which used to grow paddy on about 45 lakh acres (across both seasons), has witnessed a steep hike in the acreage, going up to 70 lakh acres this year.
“There is a lot of difference between the situation that prevailed during the united Andhra Pradesh days and now. With the construction of major projects like Kaleswaram and revival of tanks under Mission Kakatiya, farmers are getting water in abundance,” Rao said.
In the rabi season alone, the paddy area increased by 100 per cent to 38-40 lakh acres. In the upcoming kharif, the State expects it to grow further, with the season set to see the crop sown in 55-60 lakh acres.
If the next rabi sees the same tempo, 39 lakh acres will be covered again. “This would mean, the State can potentially grow over 2.25 crore tonnes of paddy next year,” a government official said.
Procurement and processing
The State sees the need for a new strategy to handle the abundance of paddy. “Procuring paddy, sending it to the mills to make rice and selling that will become a hard task. The existing policy or method cannot deal with this situation,” the Chief Minister said.
The State, which has about 2,200 rice mills, can process 1 crore tonnes of rice a year. “But they hardly run to their full capacity for want of paddy. Now that the situation has changed and power is available round the clock, they can expect to mill more considering the availability of paddy,” he said.
Stating that millers should not be hassled, he asked them to formulate marketing plans. They will be allowed to build godown spaces at or near the mills, he added.
The State will also work to double the godown space to store 40 lakh tonnes of produce against the current 22 lakh tonnes.
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