Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that it was decided to procure Paddy during the summer season through 6, 408 Centres in the villages all over the State. The CM clarified that due to the re-surge of the Corona pandemic, it was decided, as was done last year, to procure Paddy in the villages.
The CM instructed Principal Secretary (Finance) Sri Ramakrishna Rao to make all arrangements to give Rs 20,000 Crore bank guarantee by Tuesday evening. The CM instructed CS Sri Somesh Kumar to conduct an emergency videoconference with all the Collectors for the setting up of the procurement Centres.
The CM asked Minister Niranjan Reddy to be in Hyderabad and monitor the setting up of the Procurement Centres and procurement of the Paddy. The CM also instructed the Agriculture Minister and the CS to take all precautions so that farmers were not put to any difficult while the Paddy is procured.
He said in 6,408 Procurement Centres, there are 2,131 IKP Centres, 3,964 PACS Centres and others are 313. The CM instructed that Minimum Support Price conditions should be implemented and ensured while farmers bring their Paddy to the Centres.
The CM wanted the farmers to ensure that the Paddy they are bringing in to the Centre should have not more than 17 per cent moisture. The farmers should ensure that the moisture percentage is less and they should follow conditions of the MSP. The CM instructed the officials to keep the 20 Crore Gunny Bags ready at the Procurement Centres.
CM KCR said that the Cotton produced in Telangana state had a better price in the international market. Since the Cotton produced in the State has more quality and has higher price as well as higher yield, in the coming Monsoon season, the farmers should be ready to grow cotton in 75 to 80 Lakh acres. In this regard, the CM asked Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Sri Janardhan Reddy to make arrangements for the procurement of the seed. In a similar way, arrangements should also be made to cultivate Red Gram in 20 to 25 Lakh acres in the State. The CM said if Cotton and Red Gram crops were given water periodically, the yield would be more.
The CM said in this summer season, Paddy is cultivated in 52.76 Lakh acres, and it is expected that the yield would be 1.17 Crore Metric Tonnes of the coarse variety Paddy and 21 Lakh Metric Tonnes of the fine variety Paddy. The CM also urged the farmers to go in for the cultivation of Oil Palm and Groundnut as they are also proved to be profitable.
