Telangana Plans Modern Silos to Protect Paddy Farmers from Quick Sales

The Telangana government is working on plans to build modern storage facilities, including large steel silos, to protect local paddy cultivators from post-harvest losses and forced sales at low prices.

Two Models

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy discussed two possible plans for the project during a review meeting held in Hyderabad on Saturday. Under the first plan, the Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation would build the silos directly by taking loans from major financial institutions. Under the second plan, private business owners would build the facilities at about twenty locations across the State, while the Civil Supplies Corporation would offer a rental guarantee to make the investments safe and workable.

Pricing and Moisture

Freshly cut paddy usually contains about twenty-five percent moisture, which makes safe home storage very difficult for cultivators. Because of this lack of scientific storage, many farmers are forced to sell their crops within twenty-four hours of harvest without checking market rates. Raw paddy with twenty-five percent moisture currently sells for between thirty-five hundred and forty-five hundred rupees per quintal. After proper scientific drying reduces the moisture down to twelve percent, the same grain can earn between five thousand and fifty-five hundred rupees per quintal.

Premium Varieties

Telangana has grown into one of the top paddy-growing regions in India, with local types like JSR, RNR, and HMT winning fame in high-end rice markets both at home and abroad. JSR rice even brings in higher prices in certain markets than traditional basmati rice. The Minister told officials to quickly wrap up the financial plans, loan options, and rental commitments for the new storage network.

Context

Modern grain silos use tall steel structures to protect harvested crops from pests, moisture, and spoilage much better than traditional open-air storage methods. Governments often back such infrastructure projects through rental assurances to encourage private companies to invest in rural agricultural areas.