Telangana Surpasses Central Procurement Target, Accounts for 60% of India's Yasangi Paddy

Telangana has emerged as India's dominant paddy-procuring state during the current Yasangi season, having surpassed 60 lakh metric tonnes—a figure that represents nearly 60% of the country's total paddy procurement to date, according to Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday at the State Secretariat, alongside Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Public Enterprises and Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin, several Members of Parliament, and government officials, Reddy highlighted Telangana's leading position in the national procurement landscape.

The state's procurement figures substantially outpace those of other major paddy-producing regions. Andhra Pradesh has procured approximately 24 lakh metric tonnes, Tamil Nadu between 11 and 12 lakh metric tonnes, Maharashtra around 3 lakh metric tonnes, and Kerala nearly 2 lakh metric tonnes.

Reddy projected that by the conclusion of the Yasangi season, Telangana's share could reach nearly 75% of India's total Yasangi procurement. He also noted the state's continued leadership in supplying rice to the Food Corporation of India through the Central Pool mechanism.

Procurement Exceeds Central Limits

A significant development underscores the state's agricultural momentum: Telangana has breached the Centre's procurement allocation. The Central government had authorised procurement of only up to 52 lakh metric tonnes from the state, yet Telangana has already crossed 60 lakh metric tonnes—an overshoot of 115%.

Reddy attributed this achievement to both robust agricultural output and the state administration's prioritisation of farmer welfare. The current Yasangi 2025-26 season saw paddy cultivation spread across 64.36 lakh acres, generating an estimated production of 141 lakh metric tonnes.

The minister expressed concern about the Centre's procurement policies, noting a troubling divergence: while Telangana's rice production has grown consistently since the Congress government took office, the quantity of rice accepted by the Centre through the FCI has declined. He stated that both the Chief Minister and he had raised this matter repeatedly with the Union government, arguing that Telangana's procurement allocations should align with its production capacity given its status as one of India's largest paddy-producing states.

Extensive Operational Framework

Supporting this procurement drive, the state government established 8,575 procurement centres throughout Telangana. The operation deployed approximately 13,000 transport vehicles and mobilised over two lakh personnel to manage procurement, transportation, and logistics.

To date, minimum support price payments totalling Rs 11,050 crore have been transferred directly into farmers' bank accounts. The complete procurement and payment operations for the 2025-26 season—encompassing both Kharif and Yasangi cycles—involve approximately Rs 39,300 crore.

Weather-Related Challenges Managed

Recent unseasonal rains posed a threat to harvested paddy, but rapid government intervention mitigated farmer losses. Approximately 10,214 metric tonnes of rain-affected paddy was transported to boiled rice mills, enabling farmers to receive MSP payments without interruption. Reddy emphasised that the government's swift response ensured procurement remained uninterrupted despite adverse weather conditions.

Procurement operations are expected to conclude before the southwest monsoon arrives in the first week of June.