Mahabubnagar: Following directions from the State government to take up procurement of maize harvested this Yasangi season, officials are setting up procurement centres in erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. A total of 26 procurement centres will be opened in the district and the procurement will begin on May 8.
Officials have set a target of procuring 44,000 metric tonnes of maize for this crop season. The procurement will be done by Markfed and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies (PACCS). The maize will be procured at a minimum support price of Rs.1,962 as announced earlier by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
According to Agriculture officials, maize was raised in over 58,000 acres in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. Cultivation of the crop has increased exponentially in Nagarkurnool district, where it was raised in over 20,942 acres in 2023 as against 845 acres in 2016. In Mahabubnagar district, maize was raised in 4,860 acres this Yasangi against 2,000 acres last year.
Procurement centres will be opened at Badepally, Nawabpet, Midgil, Balanagar, Nagarkurnool, Telakapalli, Bijinepalli, Gorita, Ambatpalli, Kollapur, Kalwakurthy, Pedda Kothapalli, Kondanagula, Tadoor, Gopalpet, Koppanur, Alampur, Manavapadu, Kalugatla, Aija, Mandoddi, Rajoli and Itikyal, Markfed DM Hanmanth Reddy said, adding that orders were placed to purchase adequate gunny bags for the procurement.