Andhra Pradesh records 18% rise in rabi paddy procurement, says Civil Supplies Minister

Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar on Tuesday said Andhra Pradesh had recorded a significant rise in paddy procurement during the ongoing rabi season, with procurement increasing by 18% compared to the corresponding period last year.

Addressing a press conference here, the Minister said the government had procured 19.70 lakh metric tonnes of paddy so far against the target of 27 lakh metric tonnes. He said ₹4,600 crore had been credited directly into the bank accounts of 1.9 lakh farmers within 24 hours of procurement.

Mr. Manohar said the Centre’s approval for the procurement of boiled rice had enabled the State to procure Bondalu variety paddy, benefiting thousands of farmers. At the same time, he expressed concern over the cultivation of non-priority paddy varieties such as 1010 and PR-126, particularly in NTR district, stating that these varieties were resulting in a high percentage of broken rice, ranging between 45% and 50%.

The Minister said the government would continue procuring these varieties during the current season to avoid hardship to farmers. However, he said awareness would be created among farmers to discourage the cultivation of non-priority varieties in the coming seasons.

On logistics, Mr. Manohar said 18,000 transport vehicles involved in procurement operations had been integrated with GPS tracking systems. He added that the State had ensured the availability of 8.93 crore gunny bags and was also exploring alternative packaging solutions. Discussions with the Centre on the issue would be held soon in New Delhi.

The Minister further said strict action was being initiated against erring LPG distributors and assured that sufficient fuel stocks, adequate for 21 days, were available across the State.