Telangana Seeks to Boost Rice Exports and Trade with the Philippines – Uttam Kumar Reddy

Telangana Irrigation, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Captain N. Uttam Kumar Reddy met Philippine Agriculture Secretary and Cabinet member Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss increasing rice exports from Telangana and expanding trade between Telangana and the Philippines. Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted Telangana’s strong paddy production, modern rice-milling infrastructure and ability to supply large quantities of quality rice at competitive prices. Secretary Laurel reportedly responded positively to the proposal and said opportunities to source larger quantities of rice from Telangana would be examined.

The two sides discussed rice varieties, pricing, quality standards, procurement procedures, transportation, certification and sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. They also explored the possibility of the Philippines importing meat products and quality seeds from Telangana. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state has strong capabilities in seed production, food processing and allied agricultural sectors and that wider access to international markets would benefit farmers, rice millers, seed companies and rural industries. He also invited Secretary Laurel to attend the Telangana Rising Summit in Hyderabad this December and said the Telangana government would coordinate with the Centre, the Philippine Embassy and relevant institutions to turn the proposals into concrete trade opportunities.