Hyderabad : Stung by Centre's stand, TS govt asks farmers to switch to alternative crops
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao
Hyderabad : The Telangana government has gone serious against the Centre for not purchasing boiled rice and suggested to farmers go for alternative crops.
At a review meeting on agriculture on Sunday, officials expressed concern that with the Centre denying to procure boiled rice, the boiled rice mills would get closed. The officials opined that it would not be feasible for Telangana farmers to go for paddy in future.
Recently Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar and Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama had requested Union Minister Piyush Goyal to lift boiled rice procured by Telangana government during Rabi. However, the Centre has said that they would not procure a single kg of boiled rice.
Officials said that in the current rainy season also there is no possibility of procuring more than 60 lakh tonnes by the Centre. This would result in difficulties for the government and millers.
They said it was the duty of Central government to procure and store foodgrains during natural calamities and drought. The responsibility of the State is only to provide MSP. However, Piyush Goyal had told them that the Centre cannot procure even a kg of paddy.
The officials were of the opinion that the Centre should have encouraged exports and also food-processing industries, but it has washed off its hands. "During next Yasangi if farmers produce boiled rice it will turn into a death trap," they opined.
The officials expect that in the rainy season paddy crop is grown in 55 lakh acres and the 92 lakh tonnes of paddy production from previous Yasangi would mean a stock of 1.4 lakh tonnes. The State had to face an additional burden of Rs 2,000 crore for procuring paddy during previous Yasangi.
Hence the officials wanted farmers to go for alternative crops, vegetables, which would get them profits.
They said the government procured the entire crop during previous year to ensure farmers do not suffer because of Corona pandemic. But, this year the government would procure 60 lakh tonnes of paddy as decided by the Centre.