Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy has stated that the proactive measures taken by the State government for development of agriculture sector over the last six years have made people look towards villages again and stopped distress migration of rural masses to urban areas. From the position of struggling for main inputs such as seed and fertilizer before every agriculture season, farmers in the State are now assured of timely availability of the inputs. Besides, 24×7 free power supply to farming, increasing irrigation facilities and investment support in the form of Rythu Bandhu have all made farming assured. In statement, the Minister said on Sunday that the government has also ensured proper marketing of the agricultural produce, mostly under price support procurement of not only paddy but other crops too. The storage facility which was mere 4 lakh tonnes at the time of State formation had gone up to 24 lakh tonnes now and the government is planning to add another 40 lakh tonnes capacity over the next few years, he said. He said Telangana is the only State to have an agricultural extension officer for every 5,000 acres of cultivable land.
