Paddy procurement begins in Nalgonda district

To facilitate smooth operations, the government has set up 375 buying centers across the district

Nalgonda: Paddy procurement operations have commenced in Nalgonda district, with an estimated 7.50 lakh metric tons of paddy expected to arrive at the purchase centers during this rainy season. To facilitate smooth operations, the government has set up 375 buying centers across the district.

The only deterrent for the farmers at the beginning of the season was that they were advised to ensure that their paddy meets the quality standards, particularly maintaining a moisture content of no more than 17 per cent. To prevent the illegal transportation of paddy from neighboring Andhra Pradesh, check posts have been set up at Vadapalli and Nagarjuna Sagar. This measure is in response to the Rs 500 per quintal incentive offered by the Telangana government for fine rice varieties.

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The arrival of paddy at the centers has already begun to pick up pace. Officials overseeing the procurement process are requiring farmers to present their pattadar passbooks and bank account details to sell their paddy stocks. Separate centers have been designated for fine varieties and coarse varieties to streamline the process.

Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy inaugurated the paddy purchase center at Arjala Bavi near Nalgonda town on Wednesday. He emphasized the importance of timely payments, instructing officials to ensure that payments to farmers are credited to their accounts within three working days.