Centre urged to okay more Bengal gram procurement in Telangana

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has urged the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar for approval to procure an additional 27,830 metric tonnes of Bengal gram at the minimum support price.

In a letter on Sunday, State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy to the union minister said that the Centre in its earlier approval has permitted to procure 47,600 metric tonnes of Bengal gram at the MSP.

However, farmers in Telangana have cultivated the crop in an extent of 1.46 lakh hectors. Accordingly, the State is expecting a yield of 1.89 lakh metric tones of Bengal gram at 12.9 quintals per hectare.

"As on March 4, the State government procured 19.876 metric tonnes of Bengal gram at the MSP of Rs 4,875.

And, if the Centre allows an additional 27,830 metric tonnes, it can procure 75.430 metric tonnes helping the farmers offering the MSP, covering procurement of 40 per cent of the crop cultivated in the State."

He asked the union ministry to take an early decision on the issue because of the welfare of the farmers.