HYDERABAD: Making a mockery of the tall claims of BRS leaders that Kaleshwaram alone had made the state the rice bowl of the country, the state is expecting bumper paddy production even in the current rabi season without Kaleshwaram waters as paddy acreage has increased by 40 per cent. With increased acreage in the rabi season, the agencies are making advance estimates of around 11 million tonnes of paddy production.In the rabi season of 2024-25, paddy cultivation reported 19.81 lakh hectares, which is equivalent to approximately 48.97 lakh acres. In the previous year’s corresponding period, it was about 15.80 lakh hectares.The total paddy production for the kharif season reached 15.3 million tonnes, up from 14.6 million tons the previous year. The cultivation area under paddy also expanded to 66.77 lakh acres in the kharif season, a slight increase from 65.94 lakh acres last year, said an official from the agriculture department.Fine paddy cultivation also made a remarkable 61 per cent increase in fine variety paddy cultivation, with the area growing from 2.5 million acres to four million acres. The surge is attributed to the Rs 500 bonus per quintal provided by the government, which incentivized farmers to grow fine varieties.Telangana’s paddy production has shown substantial growth in recent years, making it a leading rice-producing state in India.It is to be noted that the state had received above average rainfall in the monsoon season of 2023 and 2024, indicating that the increased paddy production was not due to Kaleshwaram dam.
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