AP sets new Rabi procurement record, govt assures solution to gunny bag crisis

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies minister Nadendla Manohar on Tuesday said the state govt is creating new records in paddy procurement during the ongoing Rabi season while simultaneously working to resolve challenges related to gunny bag shortages and procurement of non-priority paddy varieties.Addressing a media conference at the civil supplies department headquarters in Kanuru, the minister said the State already procured 19.70 lakh metric tonnes of paddy out of the targeted 27 lakh metric tonnes this Rabi season, surpassing previous years’ figures. He said over Rs 4,600 crore was credited directly into the bank accounts of 1.90 lakh farmers within 24 hours of procurement.The minister attributed the increase in procurement to better field-level planning and the Centre’s approval for procurement of boiled rice. He said the govt was also utilising the permission granted for procurement of two lakh metric tonnes of boiled rice to support farmers cultivating Bondalu variety paddy.However, Manohar admitted that procurement operations in NTR district were facing difficulties due to the large-scale cultivation of non-priority paddy varieties such as 1010 and PR-126. According to officials’ studies, while normal paddy varieties generate 20% to 25% broken rice during milling, these varieties produce nearly 45% to 50% broken rice, creating complications in procurement and milling operations.Despite repeated advisories against cultivating these varieties, farmers continued growing them due to higher yields, with some areas reportedly recording over 60 bags per acre. The minister said the govt did not want to disappoint farmers and was continuing procurement this season, but awareness programmes would be intensified before the next crop season.The minister also acknowledged recurring shortages of gunny bags during procurement seasons. He said the govt arranged 8.93 crore gunny bags this year and introduced several reforms, including GPS tracking for 18,000 transport vehicles and relaxed bank guarantee norms to support smaller rice mills. He added that the State was exploring long-term alternatives to gunny bags and would soon discuss the issue with Central govt representatives in Delhi.Fuel and LPG Supply SituationResponding to concerns over fuel and cooking gas availability, the minister clarified that no petrol bunks in Andhra Pradesh were facing “dry-out” situations. He said the State currently has fuel reserves sufficient for 21 days. On LPG supply delays in rural areas, Manohar admitted that backlog issues existed in some places but assured that oil companies were working to normalise deliveries. He said while the State receives an average of 1.83 lakh LPG bookings daily, around 1.89 lakh cylinders were being delivered every day. Oil companies, he added, assured that LPG cylinders would soon be delivered within four days of booking even in rural areas.