<span style="color: #222222;">Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has agreed to enhance the paddy procurement target in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh by procuring a total of 34.8 lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy during the Rabi crop. It has also decided to further extend the paddy procurement season in Nellore district till 31st October. <br />'' </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Earlier, towards the end of August, the Ministry had extended paddy procurement season in the district by one month till 30th September following Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu's intervention. The farmers of the district have been requesting the Government to extend the target and enhance the period of procurement.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">This decision follows the intervention of the Vice President who held discussions with Secretary Food and Public Distribution, Secretary Agriculture and Secretary Home in the last two days after the issues related to paddy procurement in Nellore district were brought to his notice.</span>