Govt. targets to procure 23 lakh MT of Rabi paddy from April 4 in Andhra Pradesh

Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar on Friday set a procurement target of 23 lakh MT of paddy in Andhra Pradesh during the Rabi season from April 4.

Addressing the media along with Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh here, Mr. Manohar assured that payment would be made to the farmers in 24 hours of the procurement.

“The target to procure 23 lakh MT in Rabi 2025 is the highest ever in Andhra Pradesh. The previous government, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had procured barely 14 lakh MT in 2023 and 12.64 lakh MT in 2024,” Mr. Manohar said. The produce would be procured through 1,917 paddy procurement centres, he added.

On availability of gunnysacks, a prime challenge in paddy procurement, Mr. Manohar said, “At least 5.4 crore gunnysacks are available, and a self-declaration will be sought from the rice miller, enabling a smooth procurement drive.”

Mr. Manohar said that 17,200 lorries would be deployed for transportation of the procured paddy, and they would be linked to the GPS to track their movement and route.

In Kharif-2025, a whopping 51 lakh MT of paddy had been procured and ₹11,300 crore paid to 7.8 lakh farmers. A sum of ₹7,300 crore was paid within eight hours after procurement, the Minister said.