The State government has decided to strengthen the Horticulture Department and increase the production of vegetables and fruits by taking up greenhouse farming in around 50,000 hectares, said Minister for Agriculture and Horticulture Pocharam Srinivas Reddy.
The Minister made a brief halt in Karimnagar town on Wednesday on his way to Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Polasa of Jagtial mandal. Talking to newsmen at the R&B guesthouse, Mr. Srinivas Reddy said the Telangana State was producing only 20 per cent of vegetables and the remaining 80 per cent were being imported from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Stressing the need for increasing vegetable production, he said they have decided to conduct a meeting with the farmers on August 2 at the Agricultural University in Rajendranagar in Hyderabad.
He also said that they have decided to develop horticulture hubs in the State. Stating that the dairy sector in the State has ample potential, he said the government was chalking out strategies to increase milk production to meet the growing demand in Telangana in general and Hyderabad market in particular. Calling upon the agriculture scientists to carry out researches to increase farm produce and benefit the farmers, he said the results of the lab should go to the land. He also assured to integrate the allied sectors of dairy, fisheries, horticulture, poultry, and sericulture with agriculture to make farming profitable.
Flaying the Congress and TDP leaders for levelling allegations against the government, he clarified that only TRS government was committed to ensure welfare of the farmers in Telangana and added that the government was taking all measures to waive loans worth over Rs. 17,000 crore benefitting 39 lakh farmers.
Zilla Parishad chairperson Tula Uma, legislators Gangula Kamalakar, V. Satish Babu, D. Manohar Reddy, Rasamayi Balakishan, Mayor S. Ravinder Singh, TRS district president Eda Shankar Reddy and others were also present.
