2.55 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to be procured in erstwhile Khammam

It was planned to procure about 1.20 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in Khammam district, district Collector VP Gautham informed.

Khammam: As part of ongoing yasangi paddy procurement it was expected to procure 2.55 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in erstwhile Khammam district.

It was planned to procure about 1.20 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in Khammam district, district Collector VP Gautham informed. So far 20,000 metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased. As many as 157 paddy purchase centres have been set up across the district and paddy purchase started at 90 centres.

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He said that scales, moisture testing machines, tarpaulin sheets and basic facilities for farmers have been provided in all the centres. Millers and traders were buying grain at the farmers’ kallas, which reduced the arrival of paddy to the purchase centres.

Kothagudem district Collector Dr. Priyanka Ala informed that paddy was being procured through 136 purchase centres in the district. It was expected to purchase 1.33 lakh metric tonnes of paddy and 1.24 lakh quintals of paddy have been purchased from 2,081 farmers so far.

An amount of Rs 24 crore has been deposited into the farmers’ bank accounts. The process of purchasing the remaining paddy was expected to be completed by the end of May. The marketing officials were directed to make tarpaulins available so that paddy does not get wet due to untimely rains, she said.