Telangana purchases 30 lakh tonnes of Kharif paddy

Paddy purchase centres may continue to operate for one more month in view of the late arrivals expected from districts such as Bhupalpally and Mulugu where the transplantation took place towards the fag end of the season.

Hyderabad: With the Kharif harvest coming to a close in the State, the paddy purchases have gained momentum in all the major paddy growing districts. The Civil Supplies Corporation has proposed to open 7040 paddy purchase centres. However, the farmers may not insist for opening that many centre as the open market prices are lucrative.

The Corporation opened over 6000 paddy purchase centres so far and procured nearly 30 lakh metric tonnes. Paddy purchase centres may continue to operate for one more month in view of the late arrivals expected from districts such as Bhupalpally and Mulugu where the transplantation took place towards the fag end of the season.

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Paddy farmers growing fine varieties were quite happy with the market conditions as of now. They are not looking for any market intervention as they could fetch a better price at the doorstep, thanks to the huge demand. Officials said the paddy, especially the fine varieties were enjoying good market and the price offered was a bit remunerative for the growers.

The government has offered a minimum support price of Rs.2203 per quintal for Grade -A variety and Rs 2183 per quintal for the common varieties. But the private players in the open market are reportedly buying paddy at Rs.2600 per quintal in case of finer varieties.

Paddy arrivals in to the market yards commenced almost a month ago and they started picking up in the middle of November. The harvest activity had almost come to a close in the paddy growing districts such as Nalgonda and Karimnagar.

Paddy cultivation was taken up in a record 65 lakh acres this Kharif season in spite of the fact that no water could be released to nearly six lakh acres of the left canal ayacut of the Nagarjuna Sagar project in the absence of inflows.

Paddy was raised in a big way in the districts of Nagarkurnool, Siddipet, Sangareddy, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Yadadri-Bhongir, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, Mahbubnagar and Rangareddy districts, especially under all the major projects supported by the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

The Central government had accorded permission for procurement of up to 70 lakh metric tonnes, but the purchases through the official purchase centres may not go beyond 55 lakh tonnes in the current season.

7040 purchase centres proposed for Kharif

6000 purchase centres in operation
Finer varieties fetch more than MSP
Purchases for the season likely to touch 55 lakh tonnes