Telangana fourth largest foodgrain producer in India, says RBI

Foodgrain production in Telangana is estimated to have hit nearly 2.03 crore tonnes including paddy production of around 1.5 crore tonnes.

Hyderabad: Telangana has emerged as the fourth largest foodgrain producer in the country with nearly 13.6 per cent of total foodgrain production of 14.99 crore tonnes, in the recently concluded Vaanakalam (Kharif) season. Foodgrain production in Telangana is estimated to have hit nearly 2.03 crore tonnes including paddy production of around 1.5 crore tonnes.

Telangana’s food grain production has increased from 68 lakh tonnes in 2014 to 3.5 crore tonnes in 2021-22 with paddy alone accounting for nearly 2.3 crore tonnes including about 1.19 crore tonnes of paddy procured from farmers. The foodgrain production is expected to increase further in Telangana during the current fiscal.

As per the latest estimates of the Reserve Bank of India, Uttar Pradesh recorded highest share in the overall foodgrain production followed by Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. The share of area under Kharif crops, has been highest in Rajasthan, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In terms of productivity of foodgrains, Punjab is at the top followed by Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

According to the union Agriculture Ministry, the procurement operations during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) were largely dominated by rice with Telangana being second largest contributor after Punjab. Due to deficient rainfall, States like Telangana, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh which have irrigation facility, turned out to be largest contributors towards the foodgrain production.

The Central government is estimated to procure a total 7.75 crore tonnes of paddy during the KMS 2022-23. Of this, about 1.86 crore tonnes of paddy is procured from Punjab. Telangana will procure 74.63 lakh tonnes of paddy into the Central pool and of this, more than 44 lakh tonnes of paddy has been already procured for milling.