The standoff between Telangana and the central government over parboiled rice procurement has eased, with Telangana set to supply 37 lakh metric tonnes to FCI. Demand for Telangana’s boiled rice has increased from states like West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala due to production shortfalls in these regions.

HYDERABAD: The stand-off between Telangana and the central govt over procurement of parboiled rice seems to have ended at least for the time being.

With demand rising in different states, Telangana is likely to supply 37 lakh metric tonnes of coarse raw rice and parboiled rice combined to FCI this season.

The Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation expects over 20 LMT to be boiled rice, the highest quantity of this variety to be given to FCI by any state this season.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) had in 2021 and 2022 refused to procure the rice which is partially boiled before husking.

The then chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had sta- ged a massive dharna in New Delhi in 2022, accusing the Centre of discriminating against Telangana. FCI has reduced the procurement quantities, stating its godowns were full with this variety. Additionally, parboiled rice-consuming states placed fewer orders during that period.

A senior FCI official told TOI that there was now demand for coarse rice from Maharashtra and Karnataka, and parboiled rice from West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, as the production of rice in these states was less than consumption.

‘Demand for Telangana’s boiled rice up since past year’

“Depending on demand from various states, we keep changing procurement targets from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab, the three states from where most rice is taken and given to various states through the public distribution system,” the FCI official said.

Sources told TOI that the present civil supplies corporation commissioner, DS Chouhan, had worked in FCL in the past. This helped in Telangana getting fresh orders of over 30 LMT of coarse variety and boiled variety rice from the FCI for even the last Rabi season.

“While the state govt expected 80 lakh metric tonnes of fi- ne variety paddy and another 50 lakh metric tonnes of coarse variety from the current Kharif crop, the next Rabi crop would see the farmers mostly cultivating coarse variety as the season was suitable for boiled rice,” Chouhan said.

Civil supplies general manager (procurement), Raji Reddy, said demand for Telangana’s boiled rice has picked up in the past year, with even Bihar seeking the variety.

“There are states like Chhattisgarh and Haryana that supply parboiled rice but only in one crop season, whereas Telangana does it for two seasons Yasangi and Kharif. On the other hand, Punjab stands first In the country for giving the highest quantities of raw rice to FCI,” he said.

Published Date: October 9, 2024