Despite poor rainfall and anticipated drop in agricultural production in the current year, Chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has sought construction of more godowns in the state for storage of at least an additional 1 million tonnes of foodgrain.
Reddy feels that foodgrain production in the state will go up in future in view of his Jalayagnam programme aimed at providing irrigation facilities to a large extent of agricultural land. The state has already witnessed a quantum jump in foodgrain production in the past five years from 13 million tonnes in 2004 to 20.4 million tonnes in 2008-09.
Keeping this in view, Reddy asked the departments concerned to ensure construction of additional godowns. The godowns could be constructed by the government corporations, cooperatives or in the private sector, an official release said.
The existing godowns in the state has a capacity to store 3.47 million tonnes. As against this, the stocks on hand are stated to be to the tune of 3.63 million tonnes. Hence, tenders have been floated for hiring covered space for storage of foodgrains. Godowns are required at Jagityal, Huzurabad, Sultanabad, Karimnagar, Narsampet, Jangaon, Nakkalapalli, Kodad, Kakinada, Mandapeta and Amalapuram.