Telangana: Fine Paddy Varieties Now Account for 61 Percent of Kharif Crop
Hyderabad:A significant change has been observed in the type of paddy cultivated this kharif season. The state government’s announcement of ₹500 bonus per quintal for ‘sanna vadlu’ (fine varieties of paddy) has driven a shift in cultivation patterns.
Fine varieties now account for 61 per cent of the total paddy cultivation, up from 38 per cent last year. The area under fine varieties has surged from 25.05 lakh acres in 2023 kharif to 40.44 lakh acres in 2024 kharif, marking a 61 per cent increase.
Data obtained from the civil supplies department for kharif season shows that the area under paddy cultivation in the state has seen a slight increase, rising from 65.94 lakh acres in 2023 kharif to 66.77 lakh acres in 2024 kharif. Along with this, the yield is projected to rise from 146 lakh metric tonnes last year to 153 lakh metric tonnes in 2024.
Conversely, the cultivation area of ‘doddu vadlu’ (non-fine varieties of paddy) has dropped from 40.89 lakh acres last year to 26.33 lakh acres this year.
The civil supplies department has made extensive arrangements to handle this year’s harvest, setting up 7,411 grain procurement centres some of which began operations in early October.
Initially, however, farmers favoured selling to private traders due to higher open-market prices, leading to a slow start in government procurement. By November, procurement picked up significantly, with 9.58 lakh metric tonnes of grain purchased from 1.41 lakh farmers as of November 14. This includes 7.49 lakh metric tonnes of non-fine rice and 2.09 lakh metric tonnes of fine rice.
To encourage farmers further, the government has expedited payments, allocating an additional ₹33 crore for the ‘sanna vadlu’ bonus.
During the same period in 2023, about 9.35 lakh metric tonnes of grain were procured. This year’s procurement has already surpassed last year’s figures. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has recently directed officials to ensure a smooth procurement process. He also instructed officials to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act to address any disruptions caused by millers or traders troubling farmers.
With the increased focus on fine rice and proactive government measures, this season is expected to bring both economic benefits for farmers and a significant boost to the state’s rice production.
