Telangana Accelerates Maize Procurement After Centre Declines Support

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday directed Markfed officials to expedite maize procurement under the state's price support scheme, citing urgent need to resolve shortages in gunny sacks, storage facilities, labor, and transport. The state has taken over procurement after the Centre declined to procure maize in Telangana during the 2025-26 Rabi season.

So far, 6.74 lakh tonnes of maize have been procured from 1.22 lakh farmers at a cost of ₹1,650 crore, against a target of 14.9 lakh tonnes valued at approximately ₹4,000 crore at the minimum support price of ₹2,400 per quintal. The state government has appointed special officers on a combined district basis to monitor the procurement process.

Maize was cultivated across 16.37 lakh acres in the state, with an estimated production of 43.49 lakh tonnes at a yield of 26.57 quintals per acre, while jowar was grown on 4.03 lakh acres with an expected output of 4.03 lakh tonnes. The Centre has set the MSP for jowar at ₹3,699 per quintal for hybrid varieties and ₹3,749 for the 'maldandi' variety.

The state government confirmed it will continue procurement independently despite the absence of central cooperation. Markfed officials are expected to resolve logistical bottlenecks by next week, and the Agriculture Department will review progress in a high-level meeting on Tuesday.