India: Centre approves 30 lakh tonnes paddy procurement in Andhra Pradesh

The central government has cleared the procurement of 30 lakh metric tonnes (t) of paddy from Andhra Pradesh in the 2024-25 kharif season, almost twice the 15.92 lakh t purchased a year earlier. The decision was announced at the state consultative committee meeting of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), chaired by MP and committee chairman Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu.

Devarayalu said the increase is aimed at ensuring all eligible paddy is procured at the Minimum Support Price and that the FCI will lift the grain directly from farmers. The state has also been authorised to procure 14 lakh t of rice with a 10% broken specification-making Andhra Pradesh the second state after Punjab to receive such clearance.

Officials attributed the higher target to expectations of increased kharif output following widespread rainfall. In the previous rabi season, the government procured 9.93 lakh t of paddy in the state, and discussions are under way on revising the upcoming rabi procurement volume.

Devarayalu said FCI is prepared to construct additional storage facilities in districts such as Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Palnadu if land is allotted by the state. The move is seen as necessary to handle the expanded procurement plan and maintain grain flow through the public distribution system.