Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh said that the government would promote e-marketing on a large scale to enable farmers know the prevailing prices of vegetables and other produce and sell the same with a profitable margin based on the price in other markets.
“There are about 585 major markets in the country and we are aiming to link at least 200 by September under e-marketing strategy which will be linked with Rashtriya Krishi Mandi,” said Mr. Radha Mohan Singh, while addressing a huge gathering at Mulugu after laying foundation stone for three prestigious institutions – Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticulture University, Centre for Excellence for Fruit Research and Forest College – here along with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya on Thursday.
He said that 12 markets were already linked in Karnataka and farmers were benefitting from that.
All the three institutes would come up in about 1,300 acres with Horticulture University alone getting an allocation of Rs. 1,823 crore.
Appreciating the government for naming the institute after Konda Laxman, the Union Minister said that the government had already sanctioned Rs. 10 crore and Rs. 35 crore in two phases and the remaining amount would be released before the end of this month.
“Still, irrigation water is unavailable for 80 per cent of farm lands. The nation will progress only if the farmers are happy and Pradhana Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is aimed for this. Focus will be on micro-irrigation which will benefit a large number of farmers,” said Mr. Singh. He also suggested the establishment of planning committees for irrigation stating that they can get funds from three different wings of the Union Government. The Minister also suggested protecting soil health and issuing of soil health cards to farmers and informed that so far, cards were issued to about 14 crore farmers.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao urged the Union Minister to sanction funds for the construction of godowns informing that there were godowns of the capacity of only 4 lakh metric tonnes while the State required godowns of the capacity of 16 lakh metric tonnes. He said that weather in Telangana was best suitable for seed production and the State can be transformed into a seed bowl. He said that the government has promised to release funds for drought relief in a week. He urged the Union Minister to release the funds without any delay.
The programme was presided over by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, Agriculture Minister P. Srinivas Reddy, Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna, Council Chairman K. Swami Goud, Deputy Speaker M. Padma Devender Reddy and others.
