Telangana becoming new rice bowl of India: KCR

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, April 29

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Punjab and Haryana, which are known to be the rice bowl of the nation, are getting tough competition from the southern state of Telangana that has produced a record paddy, touching 225 lakh tonnes as the acreage increased by 123 per cent.

“Telangana is the new rice bowl of the country after an additional 15 lakh acres were bought under paddy cultivation under Mission Kakatiya and another 20 lakh acres under pending projects,” Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) said on Tuesday.

The bumper crop had become possible due to improved irrigation facilities. The next step is to ensure a reasonable support price in view of the increase in yield and acreage, he said.

The chief minister has issued an order to construct godowns with an additional capacity of 40 lakh tonnes.

Punjab had targeted 170 lakh tonnes of paddy during the last crop, while Haryana marginally lower.

India’s top rice and wheat producers Punjab and Haryana contribute almost 15 per cent of India’s entire rice production.

Both the states are trying to persuade the farmers to move away from paddy to other crops like maize.

KCR said the increased yields resulted from better irrigation and soon about 1300 TMC of water in Godavari and Krishna would be used to

further boost irrigation.

The state is providing 24-hour-free power supply to the farm sector. Under projects related to wells and bore wells, there is a possibility of having two crops in 1.45 crore acres and three crops in 10 lakh acres.

Telangana’s paddy yield will be doubled in the years to come making it the rice bowl of India, KCR said.

The state government, he said would buy each and every morsel produced by farmers as the farmers are in distress due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation.

Arrangements are being made to keep the fertilizers available for farmers, he said.

Saying that godowns with a capacity of 22.5 lakh tonnes are available in the state, he favoured construction of godowns with an additional capacity of 40 lakh tonnes.

He suggested that the Rythu Bandhu Samitis (farmers’ coordination panels) plays an active role in helping the farmers. He further said the government is taking stern action against sale of spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

According to official sources, the estimated production of paddy during the current season is around one core MTS.