Govt to procure 51 lakh tonnes kharif paddy

Vijayawada: The civil supplies department is fully prepared for the kharif season, with an ambitious target to procure 51 lakh metric tonnes of paddy worth Rs 12,200 crore, said civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at the Civil Supplies Bhavan here, the minister said that the coalition government’s reforms have ensured justice to farmers, addressing several long-pending issues left behind by the previous administration.

Manohar said that the procurement operations will be carried out through 4,041 Rythu Seva Kendras (RSKs) and 3,803 paddy procurement centres, supported by a 16,700-strong workforce. Based on past experiences, the department has readied 6 crore gunny bags for smooth procurement and transportation of paddy.

He revealed that the previous government had left behind pending dues of around Rs 1,670 crore, with payments delayed up to nine months. “After the formation of the coalition government, 87 per cent of payments were deposited in farmers’ accounts within 48 hours. This time, we aim to credit the amount within 24 hours of procurement,” he stated.

To ensure fairness in quality testing, the government has decided to use uniform moisture-reading machines across all centres, with Bluetooth connectivity to record data accurately and transparently. Farmers can now also get procurement schedules directly through WhatsApp by simply messaging “HI,” enabling convenient and paperless coordination.

The minister announced a detailed procurement calendar with11 lakh metric tonnes in November, 25 lakh MT in December, 8 lakh MT in January, 3 lakh MT in February and 4 lakh MT in March,

Manohar also announced that from January 2026, every rice card-holding family will receive 1 kg of wheat flour at Rs 18 per kg, with 2,400 MT of flour already being readied for supply.

Under the Deepam – 2 scheme, 90 lakh beneficiaries have been covered in the third phase, which will continue until November 30. The department also extended aid to 2,39,169 families affected by Cyclone Montha, providing essential commodities in affected areas.

Smart card distribution under the civil supplies department has reached 92 per cent and the remaining cards will be reissued after verification through the Mana Mitra app by month-end.

In anticipation of possible rains during November, the government has arranged for 50,000 tarpaulins to be distributed free of cost to farmers for crop protection. Across the state, 39.51 lakh acres have been registered under the current Kharif crop, and officials estimate a total yield of 85 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.

Refuting rumours that paddy from damaged crops will not be procured, Manohar clarified, “Such claims are baseless. The government will purchase 100% of the registered paddy from this crop season without exception.”

Civil supplies vice-charman managing director S Dilli Rao and director Govind along with other senior officials attended.