Telangana sets new paddy procurement record, seeks Centre's support
The Telangana government has formally requested the central government to revise the paddy procurement target for the Rabi 2025-26 season and extend the Custom Milled Rice (CMR) delivery period for both Rabi 2024-25 and Kharif 2025-26. The request was made in a letter by N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Telangana Minister for Irrigation & CAD and Food & Civil Supplies.
According to the minister, the state has achieved its highest-ever paddy procurement, with 80.09 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs) procured during Rabi 2025-26 so far, and the process is still ongoing. Reddy noted that the Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2025-26 together witnessed a historic 152 LMTs of paddy procurement, the highest ever in Telangana and undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Procurement far exceeds Centre's target
Reddy stated that based on paddy production estimates for Rabi 2025-26, the Telangana government projected procurement of around 90 LMTs of paddy and submitted these estimates to the Government of India. However, the Centre fixed the procurement target at 35 LMTs of rice, equivalent to 51.47 LMTs of paddy. Despite this lower target, the state has already procured 80.09 LMTs of paddy as of the date of the letter, with an additional 0.15–0.20 LMT expected from late-harvesting districts.
The minister highlighted that the procurement was carried out under exceptionally challenging conditions, including severe heatwave, acute shortage of hamalies at procurement centres and mill points, limited storage capacity due to bumper Kharif 2025-26 procurement and carryover stocks, disruptions in fuel availability, shortage of transportation vehicles due to concurrent maize arrivals, a compressed procurement window with peak daily arrivals exceeding 2.00 LMTs, and unseasonal rains accompanied by thunderstorms.
Financial burden on state exchequer
Reddy pointed out that despite rising paddy production driven by improved farming practices, expanded irrigation, and continued support to agriculture, the Centre has fixed relatively lower procurement targets for Telangana over the past two seasons and the current Rabi season. He said, "The procurement target fixed by the Government of India and procurement by state above the GoI target has imposed a substantial financial burden on the State exchequer."
The minister emphasized that Telangana continued procuring paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and in line with the Centre's Fair Average Quality (FAQ) norms despite operational challenges, in order to safeguard farmers' interests. The state government now seeks a revision of the procurement target and an extension of the CMR delivery period to ease the logistical and financial pressures.
