The Telangana government is planning to promote the cultivation of fine rice in place of non-fine rice in the upcoming Kharif season. This move aims to help farmers benefit from a Rs 500 bonus per quintal, as already announced.
The government has observed an increase in non-fine rice stocks in the state and the country. Farmers in Telangana have been growing non-fine rice consistently, resulting in a shortage of fine rice in the market and a significant rise in its prices recently.
Fine rice is currently being distributed through government schemes like Mid-Day Meals in schools, welfare hostels, and Anganwadi centers. Non-fine rice, on the other hand, is provided through ration cards.
Despite the rising stocks of non-fine rice procured from farmers, the availability of fine rice is not meeting the distribution requirements of the state. The government estimates a need for 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice under the public distribution system, including state and national food security cards.
Officials note that only 2 percent of the total milling by the state civil supplies corporation is fine rice, while the remaining 98 percent is non-fine rice. To address this imbalance, the government aims to incentivize farmers to focus on cultivating fine rice to meet the changing demands.
The Agriculture department reports that the yield of non-fine rice for the 2019-2020 year was 91.45 lakh metric tonnes, compared to 86.79 lakh metric tonnes of fine rice. Due to increased demand and low supply of fine rice, prices have surged. Encouraging farmers to grow fine rice exclusively is seen as a solution to stabilize the market.
