Hyderabad: The state govt is sitting on huge stocks of paddy from the last three crop seasons, with over 80 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy stored with rice millers alone and other quantities in the warehouses of various state and central govt departments.These stocks are from the Rabi crop of 2024-25, Kharif crop of 2025-26 and just concluded Rabi crop of 2025-26. The Congress govt has procured nearly 80 LMT of paddy from the just concluded Rabi crop season. Of the total, the central govt has placed an indent for only 52 LMT of paddy, which would be custom milled into rice and supplied to the Food Corporation of India.
“We are waiting for the state govt to give us orders to custom mill into rice. While no such order has been issued, it is also not clear whether the state govt will auction the paddy or export it. We are not answerable for any damage caused to this stored paddy due to rains. The losses have to be borne by the state govt,” a rice miller said.However, govt officials are not all that worried over piled up paddy stocks. “The govt is working on a plan for utilisation of this paddy for public distribution within the state, sell it to other states or open market through auction and also export to other countries, depending upon the demand due to El Nino impact. In fact, the piled up paddy stocks may turn into a blessing in disguise,” a senior official told TOI.Scientists and weather experts have warned that Telangana also will face El Nino impact and that this phenomenon may cause erratic and deficient monsoons in Telangana, prolonged dry spells, and above-average heatwaves. This weather pattern severely threatens agriculture, water security, and groundwater levels, prompting state authorities to alter farming and water management strategies.The state cabinet has already taken a decision that the state govt will purchase paddy from the farmers only up to the quantity the central govt agrees to take. The Congress govt has been purchasing entire paddy brought by farmers to the govt procurement centres, which will not be the case from ensuing Kharif crop.Also, the state govt has announced that the bonus of ₹500 will be paid only to the nine varieties of paddy prescribed by the govt. This is because paddy cultivation requires more water, and also that the govt is trying to wean farmers away from too much paddy cultivation and is encouraging crop diversification.As per the recommendation of the Telangana State Farmers’ Commission, the state govt is promoting large-scale cultivation of profitable paddy varieties such as BPT 5204, Telangana Sona (RNR 15048), KNM-1638, Jai Sriram, and HMT. The Commission has said that these varieties enjoy strong demand in domestic and international markets, thereby offering better returns to farmers.
