CESS organised a faculty seminar on “Paddy Procurement Process in Telangana State: Farmers’ Satisfaction, Constraints and Suggestions” on 25 May 2026. The seminar was presented by Dr. B. Suresh Reddy, Professor, CESS and Dr. M. Rajeshwar, Research Associate, CESS. The seminar was chaired by Prof. E. Revathi, Director, CESS. Dr. R. V. Ramanamurthy, Professor, University of Hyderabad was the discussant for the seminar. Dr. G. R. Reddy, Founder member, Board of Governors, CESS, also graced the occasion. Faculty members, research scholars, and summer interns of CESS participated in the seminar. Sri Ravi Kiran, Assistant General Manager (Procurement), Civil Supplies Department, deputed by the Commissioner of Civil Supplies, Government of Telangana, also attended the seminar. The deliberations enriched the discussion on the theme.
Abstract of the Presentation:
The Department of Civil Supplies, Government of Telangana has completed procurement of 48 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during 2023-24 rabi season, which comprised even the stocks that were damaged in rains. The government had set up paddy procurement centers (PPCs) two weeks in advance in March itself and started the procurement. Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) has taken up the present study in Telangana state during July 2024 with an objective of assessing the farmers satisfaction with paddy procurement in Yasangi (rabi) 2023-24 and also tried to assess the awareness of farmers on the procurement process and the conditions of procurement. An App was developed for conducting the telephonic survey using the Tabs. Out of a total universe of more than 8.5 lakh farmers spread over Telangana state, a sample of 0.5% covering 5000 farmers were surveyed in 32 districts using a customized App using CATI (Computer Aided Telephonic Interview). A total of 10 farmers were selected randomly from each village using class interval method irrespective of the total number of paddy farmers from whom paddy was procured. Study found that this year, in general more than ninety percent of the farmers who sold their paddy in yasangi season(rabi) 2023-24 at PPCs are happy with the duration of money payment they received as compared to previous season. Empirical evidence clearly indicates that one fourth of the sampled farmers received the money within six days of selling their paddy at the PPCs. The empirical evidence also calls for the need to have more government control over mills so as to rescue the farmers from exploitation by millers. Tribal areas in particular need strict vigilance as the discrepancies were high. Awareness about the tollfree number has to be increased and the identity of the farmers who give complaints to this tollfree number should be kept confidential so as to avoid the harassment inturn to the farmers who have raised the complaint. The governments’ efforts for effective paddy procurement can further be strengthened by addressing some of the major constraints reported by the farmers and incorporating the suggestions given by the farmers into the paddy procurement policies of the Telangana state.