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Telangana’s annual paddy produce to cross 2 cr tonne mark

With increased irrigation facilities farmers took up paddy cultivation on a large scale

By PS Dileep

Published Date - 18 January 2021, 12:06 AM

Telangana’s annual paddy produce to cross 2 cr tonne mark

Hyderabad: Paddy production in Telangana State is expected to surpass a major milestone this year, recording about 2.38 crore tonnes of paddy yield in a single year. While about 1.25 crore tonnes of paddy was produced during Vaanakalam season, another 1.13 crore tonne of paddy production is expected during the ongoing Yasangi season.

Over the past few years, Telangana has emerged as a key rice producing State in the country. Since State formation, the increased irrigation facilities especially Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) and its affiliated irrigation systems, have encouraged farmers to take up paddy cultivation on a large scale. Paddy cultivation increased by leaps and bounds since State formation in 2014. Within a period of three years, paddy cultivation increased from 18.31 lakh acres in Yasangi (Rabi) 2017-18 to about 39.31 lakh acres in 2019-20. It is expected to be cultivated in about 48 lakh acres in the ongoing Yasangi season.

As a result, the ongoing Yasangi season will be third consecutive season to reach the one crore tonnes mark for paddy production since last 2019-20 Yasangi 2019-20 and 2020-21 Vaanakalam seasons. Consequently, rice production increased significantly by more than 20 per cent on a year-on-year basis in the State. After milling, the rice production was 29.6 lakh tonnes in 2015-16, 51.7 lakh tonnes in 2016-17, and 62.5 lakh tonnes in 2017-18.

“The annual rice production has increased by four times from 29.6 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to 1.3 crore tonnes in 2019-20. Considering the paddy yield of 2.38 crore tonnes, the total rice production for the current fiscal is likely to cross 1.59 crore tonnes,” according to an official in the Agriculture department. He added that depending on the paddy variety, the grain weight is reduced considerably after milling and the resultant rice quantity is lesser than the paddy produce. For instance, about 1.94 crore tonnes paddy was produced during 2019-20 resulting in rice production of around 1.3 crore tonnes.