AP to procure parboiled rice for first time

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has announced that parboiled rice will be procured for the first time during the ongoing Rabi procurement season.State civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar said the Centre had granted permission to procure nearly two lakh metric tonnes of parboiled rice, a move expected to benefit thousands of farmers across the state. The minister announced this after inspecting paddy procurement operations at Ramavarappadu and Gollapudi in NTR district on Saturday. He reviewed the functioning of procurement centres, moisture-testing procedures, and interacted directly with farmers to understand issues being faced at the ground level.Officials said the state has set an ambitious target of procuring 70 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the current Rabi season, anticipating higher crop yields compared to last year. The government has already procured 17.46 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.Calling it a “record procurement season,” Manohar stated that the civil supplies department, district administration, and procurement agencies were working in coordination to ensure smooth operations without inconvenience to farmers.Farmers informed the minister that payments were being credited into their bank accounts within 30 minutes to 17 hours after selling paddy. According to the government, nearly 94 percent of payments are being made within 24 hours. So far, Rs. 4,410 crore has been deposited into farmers’ accounts this Rabi season.During the inspection, the minister identified several operational issues, including high moisture content in paddy, damaged gunny bags, and shortages of lorries. He directed officials to resolve the problems immediately and ensure adequate transportation and storage arrangements at procurement centres.In the NTR district alone, procurement has already crossed 80,000 metric tonnes this season, compared to 50,000 metric tonnes during the previous Rabi season, marking a sharp increase in paddy arrivals.The minister assured farmers that the government would continue taking all necessary measures to protect their interests and strengthen procurement operations across the state.