Telangana Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy ordered officials on Tuesday to accelerate the purchase and transportation of paddy in Nalgonda district.
The directive aims to prevent crop loss and financial instability for farmers. By speeding up the lifting of stocks, the government intends to protect grain from unseasonal rains and ensure growers receive the announced support price.
During a visit to a paddy procurement centre, Reddy focused on the logistics of moving the grain. "We have directed officials to expedite the paddy procurement operations while ensuring urgent safeguards to protect farmers from untimely rains," Reddy said [3].
Government data indicates that 58 lakh tonnes of paddy have been procured so far [1]. Officials expect an additional 18 lakh tonnes to arrive at procurement centres [1]. Reddy said the government will ensure farmers receive the support price for their stock [1].
While Reddy led the site visit, other state leadership has also prioritized the effort. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the state government is purchasing paddy and maize from farmers despite an alleged lack of cooperation from the central government [4].
The push for efficiency comes as the state manages a massive volume of grain. The ministers' visit to Nalgonda served as a direct instruction to local administrators to remove bottlenecks in the transport chain, a critical step in preventing spoilage during the monsoon season.
“"We will ensure that farmers get the support price for their paddy stock at the procurement centres."”
The urgency of the procurement process highlights the vulnerability of India's agricultural supply chain to weather volatility. By prioritizing the immediate removal of grain from procurement centres, the Telangana government is attempting to mitigate the risk of post-harvest loss while simultaneously using the procurement process to signal political friction with the central government over agricultural support.
