Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao shot a missive to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre to clarify on paddy procurement from the State. He urged the Union government to direct the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to enhance the target beyond 40 lakh tonnes for procurement of rice during the ongoing Kharif (Vaanakalam) 2021-22 to 90 per cent of the production as done in Punjab. He sought confirmation of the target of procurement of rice from Telangana State during ensuing Rabi (Yasangi) season.
He also wanted the FCI to complete the procurement of the balance 5 lakh tonnes rice produced in Rabi (Yasangi) 2020-21. “I solicit early action on these issues,” he said.
In his letter, the Chief Minister said the FCI which has the mandate of ensuring food security for the people by maintaining the buffer stocks and supplying rice and wheat through the public distribution system, was following certain policies which were creating confusion in the minds of farmers and as well as the State governments. The target of rice procurement is not fixed for the entire year in one go. Further, even through the production is increasing year-on-year, the procurement is not keeping pace.
Hyderabad News
As a result, the State governments are unable to plan an appropriate cropping pattern and explain the same to the farmers. For instance, even though the production of rice in Telangana during Kharif 2020-21 was 55.75 lakh tonnes, the procurement was only 32.66 lakh tonnes which is 59 per cent of the production. This was less than the 78 per cent procured in Kharif 2019-20. “Such wide variations in procurement levels does not allow the State to implement a rational cropping pattern,” he added.
To clear these confusions and fix the appropriate target for procurement, the Chief Minister explained that he had personally met Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on September 25 and 26 and sought that the annual target for procurement be fixed immediately. However, no policy decision was taken or communicated to the State in this regard even after 50 days since the Chief Minister’s meeting with the Union Minister.
Further, Chandrashekhar Rao said since the formation of the State in 2014, Telangana achieved tremendous growth in Agriculture sector, due to a series of policies and measures taken by the State government to strengthen the sector. The farmers were given encouragement in terms of investment support of Rs 10,000 per acre for year and free 24/7 quality power. “Due to the enormous increase in irrigation facilities, Telangana is not only able to meet its food grains requirement but has become a huge grain surplus State. The farmers of Telangana are now able to produce for the rest of the country,” he stated.
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