Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has urged the Union Government to immediately procure an additional 18 lakh metric tonnes of paddy collected in the state during the Kharif 2025–26 season, stating that the move is crucial to safeguard farmer interests amid record agricultural output.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by State Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, met the Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution at his official residence in New Delhi to present the state’s case.
Record Production Leads to Surplus Paddy
The Centre had earlier approved procurement of 53.73 lakh metric tonnes of paddy for the Kharif season. However, due to higher-than-expected production across Telangana, the state government procured an additional 18 lakh metric tonnes on its own.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy requested that the Food Corporation of India accept this surplus paddy with a permissible deduction of 10 percent broken rice, emphasizing that farmers should not suffer due to procedural limits.
Requests for Yasaangi Crop and Milling Extensions
The Chief Minister also sought approval for custom milling of an additional 10 lakh metric tonnes of boiled rice from the 2024–25 Yasaangi season, allowing a 5 percent broken rice norm.
He further requested an extension of the deadline for custom milled rice deliveries related to the 2024–25 Kharif season, which is currently set to expire on February 28, seeking an additional two-month window to ease pressure on rice mills.
Pending Dues of ₹1,468 Crore Raised
The Telangana government also pressed for the immediate release of ₹1,468.94 crore pending from the Food Corporation of India, related to rice supplied during the 2014–15 Kharif season.
The Chief Minister recalled that the state had borne the burden of additional levy collection at that time and had taken loans to facilitate procurement, resulting in interest liabilities exceeding ₹2,000 crore over the years.
Garib Kalyan Yojana Arrears Highlighted
In addition, the Chief Minister requested the release of ₹343.27 crore in pending dues for rice supplied under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana between May 2021 and March 2022, along with supplies made in April 2022.
He emphasized that timely settlement of these dues is essential to maintain the state’s procurement ecosystem and ensure uninterrupted support to farmers.
Centre Urged to Act in Farmers’ Interest
Revanth Reddy reiterated that Telangana’s procurement operations were carried out in good faith to protect farmers from distress sales, and urged the Centre to respond positively to the state’s requests.
Members of Parliament Mallu Ravi and Suresh Shetkhar, along with senior officials, were present during the meeting.
The Telangana government has expressed hope that the Centre will take swift decisions to address procurement, milling, and payment issues, ensuring stability for lakhs of farmers dependent on paddy cultivation.
