Telangana achieves record paddy Production: Agriculture Minister

Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao announced that the state has set a new benchmark in paddy production, achieving a record 1.53 crore metric tons, the highest in the country.

Previously, Telangana held the second position with 1.46 crore metric tons. He attributed this success to the Congress Government under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Speaking to the media at the Secretariat on Friday, Rao revealed a significant increase in the cultivation of fine (small size) paddy, which now spans 40 lakh acres compared to 25 lakh acres earlier. This growth is credited to the Congress government’s announcement of a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for fine paddy. Meanwhile, coarse (big size) paddy cultivation has decreased to 25 lakh acres from 41 lakh acres previously.

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Rao underscored the Congress government’s significant progress in enhancing the paddy procurement process. The number of paddy purchasing centers across the state has risen to 7,411, compared to 4,555 centers during the BRS regime.

Additionally, the procurement process now covers 25 districts, as compared to 17 districts under the previous government.

Currently, 9.58 lakh metric tons of paddy have been procured, surpassing the 9.35 metric tons achieved during the BRS regime. Furthermore, the Congress government has disbursed Rs 2,222 crore to farmers, outpacing the Rs 2,050 crore paid under the earlier administration.

The Minister accused the BRS and BJP of politicizing agricultural issues to gain political dominance in the state. He emphasized that grain procurement is progressing as per Central guidelines and reassured farmers that there are no major hurdles in the procurement of grain and cotton.

“If there are any mistakes on the government’s part, we are ready to rectify them,” Rao said, dismissing opposition claims as baseless and politically motivated. He reiterated the Congress government’s dedication to resolving farmers’ concerns.

Rao lambasted BRS leaders, particularly Working President K T Rama Rao and T Harish Rao, for shedding “crocodile tears” over farmers’ issues. He accused them of spreading false propaganda about grain procurement while overlooking the economic challenges created during their regime.

The Agriculture Minister assured farmers that their concerns, including those related to the Rythu Bharosa program, will be addressed once the Cabinet sub-committee submits its report.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the agricultural community and ensuring their well-being.

IT and Industry Minister Sridhar Babu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing a Rs 500 bonus per quintal of fine paddy and stated that Rs 33 crore in bonuses have already been distributed. He urged farmers not to believe the misinformation spread by opposition parties and clarified that bonuses are disbursed within five to six days of grain purchase.

Babu criticized the BRS government for neglecting farmers during its ten-year tenure and accused it of obstructing initiatives undertaken by the Congress government.