more-in Minister for Marketing T. Harish Rao suggested to the Centre not to allow imports of redgram to allow disposal of the produce procured under minimum support price (MSP) operations into the open market till the stocks with the agencies of State governments last. At a review meeting held with officials of Marketing Department here on Monday, he asked officials to write to the agriculture and other ministries concerned at the Centre not to allow import of redgram from other countries till the produce procured in States including Telangana. The imports would force delay in releasing the produce into the open market, he said. Mr. Harish Rao stated the State government had procured paddy, maize, red gram, jowar, bengal gram, black gram and others grains in huge quantities from farmers under MSP operations and had already made payments. Payments made Paddy worth ?5,618 crore was procured from farmers and the entire amount was paid. Similarly, red gram worth ?1,427 crore was procured and ?1,420 crore payments were made. Bengal gram worth ?294 crore was procured and ?265 crore payments were made and jowar worth ?629 crore was procured and payments of ?611 crore were made so far, informed the Minister. He directed officials of Telangana State Cooperative Marketing Federation (TS-Markfed) to release dues of payments to the tune of ?26.82 crore to red gram, bengal gram, black gram and jowar farmers. ‘Release funds’ He also told them to pursue release of due payments from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed). On construction of godowns, officials explained to the Minister that out of 322, construction of 320 godowns taken up with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) funding was completed already. Problem in land acquisition was delaying the construction of the remaining two godowns, they said.

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