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.
Freshly harvested paddy generally contains around 25% moisture, making it difficult for farmers to store their produce safely. 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.
Because of inadequate scientific storage facilities, 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. 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.
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.