Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, met Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi and pressed for immediate approval of several key demands concerning procurement and Custom Milled Rice (CMR) delivery.

The State has requested enhancement in the Rabi 2025-26 rice procurement target from the present 35 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 54.50 LMT of rice, equivalent to 80.09 LMT of paddy already procured by the State. Telangana has also sought permission to deliver the entire quantity in the form of boiled rice, arguing that Rabi paddy grown in the State is predominantly suitable for parboiled rice milling.

During Rabi 2025-26 alone, the procurement has already touched 80.09 LMT and is expected to rise further. Combined procurement during Kharif and Rabi of KMS 2025-26 has reached a historic 152 LMT, the highest ever recorded in Telangana and the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.

He said the Centre fixed the procurement target at only 35 LMT of rice, equivalent to 51.47 LMT of paddy. The State has now procured nearly 29 LMT more paddy than the quantity covered under the approved target.

The Ministers’ delegation also sought extension of the CMR delivery schedule. They requested an additional 60 days for completion of pending Rabi 2024-25 deliveries and a further 120-day extension for Kharif 2025-26 deliveries to facilitate seamless milling and supply to the Central Pool. He said procurement for Kharif 2026-27 should be aligned with production and procurement estimates submitted by the State government.

Official figures presented to the Union Minister show that during the last three major procurement seasons, Telangana procured 69.50 LMT of paddy over and above the quantities covered under Government of India targets. This resulted in an additional MSP-related financial burden of nearly ₹16,446 crore on the State exchequer.

The burden was heavy during Rabi 2025-26, when Telangana procured 80.09 LMT of paddy against the Centre’s target equivalent of 51.47 LMT, resulting in surplus procurement of 28.62 LMT and an estimated additional financial liability of ₹6,837 crore. Similar burdens of ₹5,278 crore and ₹4,331 crore were incurred during Rabi 2024-25 and Kharif 2025-26 respectively.

The Ministers’ delegation urged the Union Government to recognise the changed agricultural realities in the State and support its farmers.