Amid Lockdown, Bumper Harvest In Telangana, FCI Sees Record Food Grain Arrivals

At a time of worrying reports all around, there's reason to cheer. Telangana is looking at a bumper harvest this rabi season and is in fact emerging as the rice bowl of India. The Food Corporation of India or FCI is having record arrivals and unprecedented movement, a record double than the usual quantum of food grains to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and even West Bengal, as there is huge demand in recipient states. This is despite a major labour challenge. Telangana is in fact coming to the rescue of many states, especially in south India, where it is apparently the only state in the south with sufficient buffer stocks. The Telangana government's investment in irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram has paid off. One lakh more acres under irrigation has yielded a bumper harvest. The chief minister has said it would have been a grand celebration time for farmers in Telangana if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. The state government is making sure the farmers don't suffer.