Telangana govt pitches for cultivation of fine rice

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is planning to promote the cultivation of fine rice in the place of non-fine rice in the ensuing Kharif season to benefit the farmers in availing Rs 500 bonus per quintal as announced already.

The government feels that the non-fine rice stocks are increasing in the State and also in the country and the farmers in the State are taking up the cultivation of non-fine rice in every season in the State, leading to a shortage of fine rice in the market and hefty increase in the prices of this rice in the recent times.

The government also is supplying fine rice through its schemes of Mid-Day Meal in schools, welfare hostels, Anganwadi centres and providing non-fine rice through ration cards.

At a time when the non-fine rice stocks are increasing with the paddy procured from the farmers, the fine rice stocks are not meeting the distribution needs of the State.

According to the officials, the State government needs 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice under the public distribution system including state government cards and the National Food Security Card by the Centre, which means 36 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. The ration card holders are not keen to eat the non-fine rice and at many places these stocks are being sold hence the government wants to distribute the fine rice through PDS shops if the yield of the fine rice increases, the official said. The official said that out of the total milling by the state civil supplies corporation, 98 per cent is non-fine rice and the fine rice is not even crossing 2 per cent.

The government feels that by making the farmers to focus on the fine rice as per the changed needs, the situation would come under control, an official said. The government also feels that by giving bonus for the fine rice, the farmers can get good remuneration for their crop.

As per the estimates of the Agriculture department, the total yield of

non-fine rice in the state for the year 2019-20 was 91.45 lakh metric tonnes, and fine rice was 86.79 lakh metric tonnes. During the last two years the non-fine rice yield had increased leading to increased stock. Because of the high demand for fine rice and low supply, the prices have increased and hence the government wants to encourage the farmers to go only for fine rice, the official said.