Telangana plans 20 silo facilities to help farmers secure better paddy prices | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: In a major initiative to protect farmers from distress sales and post-harvest losses, the Telangana govt is planning to establish a network of scientific silos across the state to improve grain storage and help cultivators secure better prices for their produce.Irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy reviewed the proposals at a meeting in the secretariat on Saturday, where two models for developing the infrastructure were discussed.Under the first model, the Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation (TSCSC) would directly establish silos in a big way by mobilising loans from reputed financial institutions. Under the second model, modern storage capacity would be created through private sector participation. The govt envisages private sector participation, with entrepreneurs encouraged to establish silo facilities at around 20 locations to be identified across the state initially, with the civil supplies corporation providing a rental guarantee to make the investments financially viable.It is aimed at transforming grain storage, preserving quality and helping cultivators secure higher returns from premium paddy varieties. The initiative aims to prevent post-harvest storage losses while protecting farmers from distress sales and to enable them to realise better prices for Telangana’s increasingly popular premium paddy varieties.The minister wanted the proposals finalised expeditiously, including the financial implications, financing arrangements and rental commitments. He wanted the possibility of securing institutional finance at competitive interest rates to be explored.Explaining the importance of the proposed infrastructure, Uttam said farmers growing premium varieties of paddy in Telangana were not getting the full value of their produce because of inadequate scientific storage facilities. Freshly harvested paddy generally contains around 25% moisture, making it difficult for farmers to store their produce safely.Consequently, many farmers are forced to sell their harvest immediately, sometimes within 24 hours, regardless of prevailing market prices. The proposed silo system would provide scientific drying and storage facilities, allowing farmers to preserve their produce for longer periods and sell it when market conditions are favourable.The minister pointed out that premium paddy varieties currently fetched around Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500 per quintal when moisture content was approximately 25%. The same produce, after scientific drying to around 12% moisture, could command prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per quintal.Uttam observed that Telangana had emerged as one of the country’s leading paddy-producing states, with several locally cultivated varieties gaining recognition in premium rice markets even overseas. Varieties such as JSR, RNR and HMT were increasingly commanding higher market values.He cited the example of JSR rice, which was fetching a relatively higher price in certain markets compared with basmati rice. The growing popularity of Telangana’s premium varieties made it imperative to modernise the state’s storage infrastructure and ensure that farmers benefited from the higher market value of their produce.He stressed the need to move away from conventional storage practices towards modern, scientific systems capable of preserving the quality and market value of paddy.