Telangana Bets Big on Record Yasangi Crop With ₹22,000 Crore Procurement Plan

With Telangana witnessing a record-breaking paddy harvest during the ongoing Yasangi season, the state government has intensified procurement operations across districts while assuring farmers that every grain brought to procurement centres will be purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) . The massive procurement drive, expected to cost nearly ₹22,000 crore , is being projected as one of the largest undertaken in the country.

Reviewing procurement arrangements at a centre in Paleru, Khammam district, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said the government was fully committed to protecting farmers’ interests and ensuring smooth procurement without delays or irregularities. He visited the centre along with Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and district officials.

Interacting directly with farmers, Ponguleti reviewed the implementation of MSP, weighing procedures, availability of gunny bags and transportation arrangements. He instructed officials to increase the number of lorries transporting procured grain to rice mills and directed district collectors to deploy additional vehicles, including DCMs, wherever shortages were reported.

Officials estimate that paddy cultivation was taken up across nearly 67 lakh acres this season, with production expected to cross 140 lakh metric tonnes . The state aims to procure around 85 to 90 lakh metric tonnes of paddy through thousands of procurement centres operating across Telangana.

The minister also issued a stern warning against millers and transport agencies accused of troubling farmers through illegal deductions and unauthorised charges. He said deductions of five to six kilograms per quintal in the name of moisture content or impurities would not be tolerated and ordered strict action against violators, including seizure of mills if necessary.

The procurement drive has also triggered a political confrontation between the ruling Congress government and the opposition BRS. Ponguleti accused the previous government of delaying procurement decisions and failing to support farmers adequately. He said the current administration under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was encouraging paddy cultivation by providing MSP support and bonus payments for fine varieties of rice.

Officials said procurement operations were progressing steadily despite logistical pressures caused by the record harvest.