Hyderabad: Telangana govt has released ₹1,173 crore directly into the bank accounts of nearly one lakh maize farmers as part of its large-scale procurement drive, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said on Wednesday. The transfer is among the largest direct benefit payments linked to crop procurement in the state.The minister said the govt has already spent ₹3,757 crore on procurement operations this season, describing it as Telangana’s biggest maize procurement exercise since the state’s formation.
maize procurement Bastar: Farmers spread wet maize to dry following overnight rain, on the outskirts of Jagdalpur, Bastar district, Friday, May 23, 2025. (PTI Photo)(PTI05_23_2025_000256B)
He said the Yasangi season recorded a historic surge in maize cultivation, with the crop being grown on nearly 16 lakh acres across Telangana — the highest-ever area brought under maize cultivation in the state’s history.Tummala said the govt ensured that maize growers received the minimum support price, helping strengthen farmer confidence and preventing distress sales in the market.To facilitate procurement, the state set up 338 maize procurement centres across the state. So far, about 13.42 lakh metric tonnes of maize have been procured from nearly 2.42 lakh farmers through these centres, he said.The minister said the govt had taken a proactive approach to protect farmers at a time when several states had scaled back maize procurement. He also stated that the Centre had not actively supported maize procurement during the current season.
