Telangana paddy output value at 99%, highest in India

HYDERABAD: Telangana has the highest growth rate for paddy output value over a decade (2011-12 to 2021-22) in the country at 99%, as per central government report.
According to figures released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, the output value of paddy has increased from 8,291 crore in 2011-12 to 16,533 crore in 2021-22. At the same time, the state had to lose 46% of the value of vegetables and crops.
In the last 10 years, no other state has experienced this level of growth or outperformance of any other commodity. Punjab, the country's leading producer of paddy, saw only a 28% increase. During this period, the value of paddy output in Punjab increased from 17,565 crore to 22,544 crore.
According to agricultural experts, despite paddy being a water-intensive crop, the extent of paddy has increased due to large-scale irrigation projects.
"Unlike other crops where market risks are higher, more farmers preferred paddy because of timely procurement with guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP). But the extent of other crops needs to be increased," Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University's former research director, Rumandla Jagadeeshwar, stated.
Farmers said that the horticulture crop extent is declining due to lack of labour.
"In Telangana, livelihoods have improved and many are not preferring to work as labourers in fields. Whereas fruits and vegetable crops are labour-intensive crops. In some cases, workers are being roped in from other states such as Jharkhand and Bihar," said Suresh Reddy V, a vegetable farmer from Vikarabad.
To address labour issues the MNREGS scheme should be linked to agriculture, he said.
Telangana has a high agricultural production value growth rate for two other crops. The state is third in terms of cotton output value after Maharashtra and Gujarat, and second after Andhra Pradesh in terms of chilly crop.