A record 70.3 lakh tonnes of paddy cultivated in the kharif this year was procured from 12.87 lakh farmers at minimum support price and almost bringing to an end a massive procurement process in villages that began in October.
Procurement of paddy is about 45% higher than what was purchased in the previous Kharif season, nearly 48.75 lakh tonnes. Officials of Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation told The Hindu that the entire paddy procured at purchases centres has been shifted to rice mills to so that the process of custom milling is taken up to deliver the rice to Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation.
