Andhra Pradesh collects 1.2 million tonnes of paddy, Minister N. Manohar says

The procurement of paddy in Andhra Pradesh is progressing rapidly, with around 1.2 million tonnes collected from farmers so far, said N. Manohar, Minister for Civil Supplies, on Tuesday. Payments totaling over ₹2,830 crore have been directly credited to the bank accounts of 1.7 lakh farmers who sold their produce. The state government is ensuring that farmers receive their payments on time.

To make sure farmers do not face any issues during the procurement process, a special control room has been set up at the Kanuru Civil Supplies building in Vijayawada. Farmers can directly report problems by calling the toll-free helpline 1967. Complaints may include registration delays, issues with tokens, discrepancies in weighing at farmer service centers (RSCs) or mills, pending payment orders, or shortages in transport and gunny bags.

Before lodging a complaint, farmers are advised to have their Aadhaar number, registration ID, token details, village name, and RSC information ready. The control room will immediately forward complaints to the concerned authorities and take swift action to resolve issues. District-level civil supplies officials are already coordinating with farmers, mill operators, and RSC staff to address problems efficiently.

The state government procures paddy through Farmer Service Centers (RSCs). Farmers first register their produce and receive tokens that allow them to sell at designated centers. After delivering their paddy to RSCs or associated mills and having it weighed, the government purchases it at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) set by the central government.

Currently, the MSP is ₹2,300 per quintal for common-grade paddy and ₹2,320 per quintal for A-grade paddy. Payments are made directly into farmers’ bank accounts, often within 24 to 48 hours of purchase. In addition, transport, handling, and gunny bag costs are reimbursed separately to the farmers.