Telangana Crosses 60 Lakh Metric Tonnes In Yasangi Paddy Procurement: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Telangana has emerged as the leading contributor to India’s rabi paddy procurement, with the state alone accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the country’s total rice purchases during the ongoing Yasangi season, according to Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy .

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad along with Cabinet colleagues, the minister said the state has already crossed the 60 lakh metric tonne (LMT) mark in paddy procurement and is expected to contribute nearly 75 per cent of the national rabi procurement by the end of the season.

Calling Telangana the “ backbone of India’s food grain procurement system ,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state has significantly outperformed other major rice-producing states. While Telangana procured over 60 LMT of paddy, Andhra Pradesh recorded around 24 LMT, Tamil Nadu 11-12 LMT, Maharashtra 3 LMT and Kerala around 2 lakh metric tonnes.

The minister also stated that Telangana currently holds the top position in supplying rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under the central pool mechanism.

Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that the Centre had initially agreed to procure only 52 LMT of paddy from Telangana. However, the state has already exceeded that figure by nearly 15 per cent , reflecting both the productivity of Telangana farmers and the state government’s commitment to protecting farmers’ interests.

According to official estimates, paddy cultivation during the 2025-26 Yasangi season covered around 64.36 lakh acres , with an expected production of nearly 141 lakh metric tonnes .

With the southwest monsoon expected to arrive in the first week of June, the government has accelerated procurement operations to complete purchases before the onset of rains. The minister, however, alleged that despite rising paddy production in Telangana every year, the Centre has been gradually reducing the rice quota procured through the FCI. He said both he and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy have repeatedly raised the issue with the Union government.

To streamline procurement across the state, the government established 8,575 procurement centres and deployed nearly 13,000 transport vehicles along with over two lakh personnel for logistics and operational support.

The minister said the government has so far transferred Rs 11,050 crore directly into farmers’ bank accounts under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. Total expenditure towards procurement and farmer payments for both kharif and rabi seasons under the 2025-26 marketing year has crossed Rs 39,300 crore , he added.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also noted that nearly 10,214 metric tonnes of rain-soaked paddy damaged during recent unseasonal rains was immediately shifted to boiled rice mills to ensure farmers did not suffer losses and received MSP payments without delay.

Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar , who were also present at the briefing, accused leaders of the BJP and BRS of spreading misinformation over paddy procurement for political reasons.

The ministers asserted that Telangana has never before witnessed procurement operations on such a large scale with this level of planning and coordination.