Telangana: 34 lakh metric food grains to be procured

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government will procure 34 lakh metric tonnes of food grains from farmers for a minimum support price for the kharif season this year. This is almost double the quantity when compared to last year's kharif when the government had procured 18 lakh metric tonnes. Farmers will be paid MSP of Rs 1,770 per quintal for Grade-I variety and Rs 1,750 for common variety. The government expects kharif food grain production at 57 lakh metric tonnes this year due to good rains and water inflows into irrigation projects.

Civil supplies minister Etela Rajender and commissioner Akun Sabharwal on  Saturday reviewed the measures to be taken for kharif procurements with joint  collectors and officials of civil supplies department. Mr Rajender said due to the state government's focus on irrigation projects, Mission Kakatiya,  and 24x7 free power to agriculture, the crop sown area and production has increased significantly and in the coming days the food grains production is  expected to touch 70 lakh metric tonnes.

It was decided to set up 1,128 IKP centres, 1,799 primary cooperative society centres and 213 other centres to procure 34 lakh MTs of food grains for kharif this year. He also asked officials to provide essential facilities at centres.