Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar conducts a review meeting at Nellore Collectorate on Monday.
The Andhra Pradesh government has introduced a new initiative to recognize and respect farmers by printing QR codes on every bag of rice, allowing consumers to know who grew the crop and where it was grown, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar said on Monday.
Addressing a review meeting on procurement of paddy rice at the Collectorate, Nellore, he said that rice grown in SPSR Nellore district would be supplied to about 41,000 schools and more than 400 welfare hostels across the state. Using QR codes on the bags, students will be able to identify the farmers behind the food they consume. He said Andhra Pradesh would be the first state in the country to implement such a model and expressed confidence that it would serve as a benchmark for others.
The minister said that 75,000 tonnes of paddy has been purchased in Nellore district since the coalition government assumed office. A target of two million tons has been set for the current season, of which more than 60,000 tons have already been procured. At the state level, purchases during the Kharif season reached 51 million tonnes.
Earlier in the day, he inspected purchases in Kovur and Sarvepalli constituencies and interacted with farmers to understand their concerns. He later held a three-hour review meeting with rice millers, farmers and district officials at the Collectorate.
Mr. Manohar urged the millers to cooperate with the government and not cause inconvenience to the farmers. He pointed out the problems related to the availability of paddy transport vehicles and shortage of gun bags and directed officials and stakeholders to work together to resolve them.
Published – 30 March 2026 20:11 IST
