The district administration has fixed the paddy procurement target at 70,000 metric tonnes for the current kharif marketing season.
As many as 76 paddy purchase centres have already been opened under the aegis of the IKP women self-help groups, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, ITDA, and other government agencies at various places in the newly-formed district.
Although the procurement season started in the second week of November, the paddy procurement is yet to pick up in the designated centres. As many as 25 centres of the total 76 centres have commenced paddy procurement so far. These centres have procured only 4,500 metric tonnes of paddy till date, sources said.
Late planting of paddy in the kharif season due to heavy rains in several mandals, including the tribal sub-plan mandals, has delayed the paddy harvesting process, sources added. The procurement is set to gain pace in the first week of December, the peak harvesting season, says Satyavani, district manager, Civil Supplies Corporation. Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao inaugurated two paddy purchase centres, one each in Karegattu and Prabathnagar in Palvancha mandal, on Friday. Another five centres would be opened elsewhere in the district soon, said Ms. Satyavani.
