Minister for Agriculture S Niranjan Reddy on Saturday said that the officials at the paddy procurement centres were directed not to reduce the weight of paddy in the name of wastage.
It may be recalled that the farmers in the last season protested over the rice millers allegedly deducting around two to four kgs in the name of wastage for every 40 kg paddy bag.
Inaugurating procurement centres at several places in the district, the Minister said that the government had issued a warning to the millers that their licence would be cancelled if any reduction in the weight of the produce is made.
Paddy cultivation reached a record extent of 56.44 lakh acres during the Yasangi season. In Wanaparthy district, paddy was cultivated in 1.50 lakh acres. Paddy yield is expected to touch 4.20 lakh tonnes in Wanaparthy district. A total of 257 procurement centres were opened in the district. He assured the farmers that every grain would be procured and a minimum support price would be paid.
He advised the farmers to bring the produce to procurement centres soon after harvesting. The moisture content is negligible in the paddy during Yasangi season, he said. Chief Minister K Chandrashkar Rao made it clear that farmers should not face any inconvenience during the process of procurement.
He directed the officials to ensure coordination of all departments to make the procurement of paddy a grand success. The government is opening 7,100 procurement centres across the State, he said.
