Hyderabad: Civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy flagged off the first-ever consignment of Telangana rice to the Philippines on Monday. This milestone marks the state’s entry into global markets, opening new opportunities for farmers.
Speaking at Kakinada Port after the flag-off, Reddy announced that 12,500 metric tonnes of rice had been shipped earlier in the day. “This is a proud moment for Telangana’s farmers and a step towards expanding our agricultural exports,” he said.
Paddy boom
With its fertile soil, favourable climate, and strong govt support, Telangana has rapidly emerged as a major paddy-producing state. The minister highlighted that the state’s annual paddy production has reached 280 lakh metric tonnes, often exceeding domestic demand.
However, the govt has been facing financial strain due to delays in payments for custom milled rice from the central govt and the Food Corporation of India. To tackle this, Telangana sought export opportunities to ease the burden and found a promising market in the Philippines.
After thorough quality assessments, the Philippines govt expressed interest in purchasing 1 LMT of rice and 8 LMTs of paddy from Telangana. Following multiple rounds of discussions, a deal was finalised.
The Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation Limited signed an MoU with Planters Products Inc., representing the Philippines govt, to formalise the agreement.
‘Just the beginning’
“This is just the beginning,” said Uttam. “We are confident that Telangana rice will soon make its mark in international markets, bringing greater economic benefits to our farmers,” he said.
With this first shipment successfully dispatched, Telangana’s entry into global rice exports signals a promising future for the state’s agricultural economy.
Cabinet expansion likely on April 3
Meanwhile, minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that he had no idea about cabinet expansion in next coming days. His comments assume that chief minister A Revanth Reddy met governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Sunday, and speculation was rife that cabinet expansion might take place on April 3rd.