Kishan Reddy: Telangana govt neglecting coarse rice farmers
Synopsis
BJP Telangana president and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's government of sidelining coarse rice farmers in state procurement policy, warning their livelihoods are at risk as traditional inter-state markets in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Bihar have dried up.
Key Takeaways
Kishan Reddy alleged on 30 May 2026 that the Telangana state government is focusing paddy procurement solely on fine rice ( sannabiyyam ) while neglecting coarse rice ( doddubiyyam ) growers.
He directly blamed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy 's decisions for putting the future of coarse rice farmers in jeopardy.
Telangana historically exported coarse rice to Tamil Nadu , Karnataka , and Bihar , but increased local production in those states has reduced that inter-state demand.
Paddy procurement policy is a state subject, making the Telangana Civil Supplies department the key authority for Kharif 2026 variety-specific guidelines.
The previous BRS government (2014-2023) had expanded decentralised procurement to cover multiple paddy varieties including coarse rice.
The Kharif 2026 procurement season will be a key test of whether the Congress government addresses the coarse rice farmer grievance.
Union Coal and Mines Minister and Telangana BJP president G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday, 30 May 2026, accused the Telangana state government of ignoring farmers who grow coarse rice (doddubiyyam) while focusing procurement efforts exclusively on fine rice (sannabiyyam), warning that the livelihoods of an entire segment of paddy growers are now in jeopardy.
Context
In his post, Kishan Reddy stated: 'The state government, while focusing on fine rice procurement, is completely neglecting farmers who grow coarse rice. Due to Revanth Reddy's ill-considered decisions, their future has become a question mark.' He further noted that Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Bihar were traditionally buyers of Telangana's coarse rice, but that increased local production in those states has now closed off those markets.
The post, written in Telugu, reflects a recurring line of attack by the Telangana BJP against the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who took office in December 2023. Kishan Reddy has consistently positioned himself as a voice for Telangana's farming communities on the national stage.
Policy Backdrop
Paddy procurement in Telangana is a state subject administered through the Civil Supplies department under a decentralised scheme. Under the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government between 2014 and 2023, the state expanded procurement to cover multiple rice varieties, including coarse paddy, to support farmers supplying both the state public distribution system and the central pool.
Coarse rice varieties, locally called doddubiyyam, were historically in demand from neighbouring states. However, a broad national trend over the past decade has seen Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Bihar significantly scale up their own rice production, reducing their dependence on inter-state procurement from Telangana. This structural market shift has compounded the pressure on Telangana's coarse rice growers.
Stakeholders and Impact
Coarse rice farmers in Telangana face a dual squeeze: shrinking external markets and, according to Kishan Reddy's charge, inadequate state procurement support. If fine rice procurement is prioritised at the expense of coarse varieties, growers who have cultivated doddubiyyam for generations may find no guaranteed buyer at minimum support price levels.
Paddy cultivation is central to Telangana's agrarian economy. Any procurement gap directly affects farmer incomes, rural credit cycles, and the broader kharif season outlook. The Kharif 2026 procurement season guidelines from the Telangana Civil Supplies department are expected to clarify variety-specific support arrangements.
What's Next
The BJP's public pressure ahead of the Kharif 2026 procurement season signals that coarse rice policy will be a live political issue in the coming months. Discussions in the Telangana state assembly on variety-specific minimum support prices and procurement volumes are likely to intensify.
The Revanth Reddy government has not publicly responded to Kishan Reddy's specific allegations regarding differential procurement treatment. How the Civil Supplies department frames its Kharif 2026 guidelines will determine whether the charge of neglect gains further traction among farming communities across the state.
Point of View
He frames a structural agricultural shift as a governance failure — a politically potent framing in a state where paddy farming underpins rural livelihoods. The charge also implicitly contrasts the current administration with the BRS-era multi-variety procurement model, complicating the Congress government's effort to position itself as farmer-friendly. How the Civil Supplies department responds in its Kharif 2026 guidelines will determine whether this narrative sticks.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kishan Reddy say about Telangana coarse rice farmers?
Kishan Reddy accused the Telangana state government of focusing paddy procurement only on fine rice while completely neglecting coarse rice farmers, saying Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's decisions have put their future in question.
Why are Telangana coarse rice farmers in trouble?
Telangana's coarse rice farmers traditionally sold their produce to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Bihar, but those states have increased their own rice production, reducing demand for Telangana's coarse varieties and leaving farmers without reliable buyers.
What is doddubiyyam rice?
'Doddubiyyam' is the Telugu term for coarse rice varieties, as distinct from fine or thin-grain rice ('sannabiyyam'). Coarse rice is grown widely in Telangana and was historically traded to neighbouring states.
What is the Telangana government's rice procurement policy?
Paddy procurement in Telangana is managed by the state Civil Supplies department under a decentralised scheme. The specific variety-wise guidelines for Kharif 2026 had not been publicly detailed as of the date of Kishan Reddy's post.
How did the previous BRS government handle coarse rice procurement in Telangana?
Under the BRS government from 2014 to 2023, Telangana expanded decentralised paddy procurement to cover multiple rice varieties including coarse paddy, providing a procurement safety net for a broader range of farmers.
