Nizamabad: Paddy procurement centres will be opened for farmers in Nizamabad district from October, with all necessary arrangements being completed in advance. In the current kharif season, paddy was cultivated on 1.76 lakh hectares, with an estimated yield of 12.5 lakh metric tons. Of this, about 11 lakh metric tons are expected to be fine-quality paddy. After deducting quantities retained by farmers for personal use and sales to private traders, around 9 lakh metric tons are likely to be brought to government procurement centres.
To manage this, 663 procurement centres will be set up across the district, with separate centres for fine and coarse varieties. Harvesting under the Nizamsagar project has already begun. Officials have urged farmers to ensure they bring paddy that meets quality standards so they can receive the full Minimum Support Price (MSP).
At the procurement centres, fine-quality ‘A’ grade paddy will be purchased at Rs 2,389 per quintal, and common variety at Rs 2,369 per quintal. In addition to MSP, the government will also provide a bonus for fine rice. On an experimental basis, “model procurement centres”, similar to model polling stations, will be introduced this year, equipped with drinking water, shamianas, chairs, and other facilities to benefit farmers.
Adequate moisture metres will be available at every centre, with strict attention to weighing and grading to avoid farmer losses. Transport vehicles will be arranged for paddy movement, sufficient hamalis (laborers) will be engaged for loading and unloading, and suitable storage facilities will be identified for procured stock.
Tarpaulins will be supplied to protect paddy from unseasonal rains. Officials have directed that only properly dried and cleaned paddy be sent to mills. Weather alerts from the meteorological department will be made available at procurement centres and shared with farmers to help them take timely precautions.
District collector T. Vinay Krishna Reddy reviewed the procurement arrangements on Wednesday. Officials, cooperative societies, women’s self-help groups, and rice millers attended the meeting. The collector assured that sufficient gunny bags would be supplied to all centres as per the procurement target.
He emphasised the need for timely transportation of paddy from centres to rice mills, completion of tab entries without delay, and prompt bill processing to ensure that payments are credited to farmers’ accounts within the stipulated timeframe.
