Hyderabad: After years of driving Telangana’s paddy boom, policymakers are now preparing for a major course correction. In a significant policy shift, the Centre has asked the state to gradually reduce paddy cultivation and promote crop diversification, even as the Congress govt continues to encourage paddy farming through a Rs 500 bonus for cultivators.Under the proposed plan, Telangana has been asked to reduce paddy cultivation by five lakh acres every year over the next five years, resulting in a cumulative reduction of 25 lakh acres. Nationally, the Centre aims to cut paddy cultivation by 50 lakh acres annually, which means Telangana alone would account for nearly 10% of the total reduction target.The move comes amid growing concerns over surplus rice production, mounting storage pressures and declining acreage under pulses and oilseeds. The issue carries particular significance for Telangana, which has emerged as one of India’s leading paddy-producing states over the past decade. According to the Socio Economic Outlook-2026, paddy acreage in Telangana increased sharply from 118.09 lakh acres in 2023–24 to 127.03 lakh acres in 2024–25, and is projected to reach 132.01 lakh acres in 2025–26. That marks an expansion of nearly 14 lakh acres within just three years.The rapid growth has consistently placed Telangana among the country’s top three paddy-producing states.However, the very success of paddy cultivation is now creating fresh challenges. The Centre has stressed the need for states to diversify cropping patterns and has indicated that procurement may be limited to around 50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said, “This situation compels us to consider diversifying our crops. While we aim to move past political considerations, we are keen to explore effective strategies for reducing paddy cultivation and embracing a more varied agricultural approach.”Officials said the Centre’s push for diversification is directed primarily at major paddy-producing states such as Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.“Centre’s directions apply more to major paddy-producing states, including Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. At the same time, acreage under pulses is declining, increasing the country’s dependence on imports,” senior officials said.The issue assumes added importance in Telangana because, unlike many other states where second-season paddy production drops sharply, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh cultivate paddy extensively during both Kharif and Rabi seasons.“In many states, second-season production is only around 30% of first-season output. As a country, we are importing edible oils and pulses, resulting in an import bill exceeding Rs 1.5 lakh crore. All these factors likely influenced the Centre’s decision,” sources said.Meanwhile, Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University and the Rythu Commission have already submitted recommendations on crop diversification to the govt.“We have proposed incentives for farmers who choose not to cultivate paddy,” said Prof Aldas Janiah, vice-chancellor of the university.Sources said the govt may soon roll out a formal diversification plan. The challenge before the state now lies in balancing two competing priorities — continuing to support farmers who increasingly depend on paddy cultivation while gradually steering them towards alternative crops.Interestingly, this is not the first attempt to reduce dependence on paddy. The previous BRS govt had proposed a crop colony model based on local consumption patterns, but the initiative failed to take off.
