Uttam Kumar Reddy Mobilises Paddy Procurement Amid Weather Threats

Hyderabad: In response to forecasts of unseasonal rainfall and extreme weather conditions, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed swift action to safeguard paddy stocks and accelerate procurement operations across the state.

During a video conference with district ministers, collectors, and senior officials on Monday, the minister reviewed ongoing paddy procurement efforts in light of recent heavy summer showers impacting multiple districts. The discussion centred on addressing procurement bottlenecks, protecting farmers from crop damage, and achieving seasonal targets.

Uttam Kumar Reddy activated heightened alert status across all Minimum Support Price operations, emphasising the importance of real-time weather surveillance and farmer notifications.

Procurement Progress and Operational Status

State procurement has reached approximately 14 lakh metric tonnes to date, with all 8,575 Paddy Procurement Centres functioning. This figure includes more than 8 lakh metric tonnes of coarse grain varieties. Authorities have transferred over Rs. 1,365 crore directly to farmer accounts.

The minister stated that MSP-backed procurement remains essential for meeting Rabi season objectives. With paddy arrivals expected to surge in the coming days, he ordered an immediate increase in procurement capacity, particularly at high-throughput centres operating in Nalgonda and Nizamabad districts.

Weather Damage and Protection Measures

Recent unseasonal rains accompanied by strong winds have caused losses at procurement facilities across several regions. The Nalgonda collector documented 299 metric tonnes of moisture-damaged paddy across four centres following a sudden windstorm, with protective tarpaulins displaced despite earlier weather alerts.

Comparable damage has occurred at procurement centres in Mahabubabad, Suryapet, Khammam, and Kothagudem. The minister instructed collectors to prioritise farmer protection and directed officials to deploy tarpaulins proactively at all centres based on daily meteorological forecasts.

Anticipating continued unseasonal weather over the following three to four days, Uttam Kumar Reddy mandated comprehensive precautionary protocols to minimise additional losses to stored paddy stocks.