Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao raised the need for export permits to rice mills in the context of huge jump in food grains production in the State due to execution of irrigation projects.
He told the Assembly on Saturday that the production of paddy was likely to touch an all time high of 225 lakh tonnes in the two agricultural seasons this year. But, the domestic market was limited to 100 lakh tonnes and consumption only 65 lakh tonnes. The Food Corporation of India was prepared to procure the balance 125 lakh tonnes.
Considering the difference between domestic market and consumption, he said the 2,000 odd rice mills in the State should be given export permits to sell the produce elsewhere in the country.
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He expected the area under cultivation in the State in two seasons to go up from 78 lakh acres to one crore acres in the coming years due to execution of irrigation project. The State will be in a position to not only meet local requirements but cultivate fine varieties of rice as the soils were fertile. The agriculture university had developed a variety of rice whose consumption did not risk growth in blood sugar levels. He felt the need to motivate the farmers to cultivate such rice.
He also said the water from Kakatiya canal of Sriramsagar project was supplied up to Suryapet and Kodad for 120 days. In a few days, water from Kaleshwaram project would also go to Siddipet. Since there was plenty of water, the government will go ahead with 24 hour free power supply for agriculture and Rythu Bandhu scheme of investment support to farmers. The water had also helped overcome the problem of flourosis in Nalgonda as certified by engineers of Ministry of Water Resources.