Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], March 31 (ANI): Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday announced that Telangana had successfully exported its first consignment of rice to the Philippines, marking a major step in tapping global markets for the state’s surplus paddy, an official statement from the Telangana goverment said.
According to the release, the agreement specifies that the exported rice would be of the IR64/MTU1010 variety, with 5% broken, well-milled, polished, and Sortex quality. The rice must also adhere to strict quality parameters, including minimal foreign matter, low moisture content (up to 14%), and limited damaged, discoloured, and red grains.
Speaking to the media after flagging off the shipment at Kakinada Port, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that 12,500 metric tons of rice had been dispatched earlier in the day.
“This is a significant moment for Telangana’s farmers and our agriculture sector,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana has emerged as a major paddy-producing state, thanks to favourable soil, climatic conditions, and the proactive support provided by the Congress government. He noted that paddy is the main crop cultivated by farmers, and production has seen consistent growth, the statement added.
“This year, the annual paddy production was about 280 lakhs metric tonnes (LMTs), and we often produce far more than what is required for the state and central pool,” he added.
The Minister pointed out that the State Government has been incurring heavy expenditure on paddy procurement and related costs. “Due to undue delays in receiving the cost of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) from the Government of India and the Food Corporation of India (FCI), we are facing a serious financial burden in the form of interest payments,” he said.
In this context, the state government explored export options to offload surplus rice.
“We found an opportunity with the Philippines, which, after conducting a thorough assessment of rice samples from Telangana, expressed interest in importing our rice,” said Uttam Kumar Reddy.
He informed that several rounds of discussions were held between officials of Telangana and the Philippines.
“After examining the quality, the Philippines government proposed to initially purchase 1 LMT of rice and 8 LMTs of paddy from Telangana. Based on this, an MoU was signed, and a formal agreement was reached between The Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (TGSCSCL) and Planters Products Inc., representing the Philippines government,” he explained.
“The export rate was finalised at Rs 36,000 per metric tonne, ex-Kakinada Port,” he announced.
He further stated that 103 rice mills in Telangana participated in milling the MSP paddy for this export. ”
This is just the beginning. We are confident that Telangana rice will soon gain a strong foothold in international markets,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
The Minister congratulated the farmers, rice millers, and officials of the Civil Supplies Corporation for their role in this achievement and said the government would continue to support initiatives that improve farmer incomes and reduce the state’s financial burden. (ANI)
