Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has announced that all the farmers in the State should cultivate the crops in a regulated manner and avail Rythu Bandhu assistance as well as get remunerative price for their produce.
Farmers would get good price by cultivating quality crops which enjoy a demand in the market. Agriculture Department and agriculture university would give due suggestions to the farming community and if farmers abide by their guidance, they would not face any problems, he said.
The Chief Minister held an extensive meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Thursday with Ministers, senior officers, various corporation chairmen, Collectors and district agriculture officers, district Rythu Bandhu Samithi presidents, agriculture university officers and scientists to discuss the proposed policy of regulated cropping pattern.
Crop enumeration
“Agriculture is major part of Telangana people’s lives. Future of agriculture should be bright and the farmers should give quality produce to the world and earn profits. From this vaanakalam itself crop enumeration should be taken up on what crop is being raised where. Rythu Sadassulu should be organised cluster-wise in the next four to five days to create an awareness about the new policy of regulated cultivation by inviting Ministers, MLAs, ZP Chairmen and other people’s representatives,” he said.
Majority of farmers in the State welcomed the regulated cultivation of crops according a survey and it is a good development, he said, and added that he would construct Rythu Vedika at his Yerravelli agriculture cluster with his own funds. Each of the Ministers and some others too came forward to construct one Rythu Vedika. Rythu Vedikas should be constructed in all 2,602 clusters in four to five months, Mr. Rao instructed.
Farmers were incurring losses due to excess supply than the demand as all of them were raising the same crop. The government thought of various solutions to prevent this situation and came out with the suggestion of regulated crop cultivation, he said.
Food processing
The government has also decided to start food processing units in a big way through out the State by setting up food processing SEZs which include rice, pulse and oil mills and othe units. District officials should identify land for the SEZs at the earliest. Next to food processing SEZs, godowns should be constructed. No permission should be given for residential layouts close to SEZs and godowns. Every godown should necessarily have cold storage facility, he said.
Agro business
Mr. Rao said that agricultural scientists will decide what crop to be raised in which season and what variety. The agro business department decides which crop has demand in the market. The government accordingly is giving its guidance to the farmers. As a result, there would be no question of farmers suffering any losses, he explained.
Last year paddy crop was cultivated on 40 lakh acres in the rainy season and this season too paddy should be cultivated in the same extent. Last year, cotton was cultivated in 53 lakh acres and this year it should be raised to 70 lakh acres. Last year, red gram was cultivated on seven lakh acres and this year it should be increased to 15 lakh acres.
Soyabean, turmeric, chilly, vegetables and other crops could be cultivated like last year. Farmers raising various seed could cultivate the same crops. But maize crop was not suitable for rainy season and it should be cultivated in Yasangi season, he said.
Those farmers who would traditionally cultivate maize in rainy season should cultivate cotton, red gram this season, he said.
Care should be taken in selecting paddy varieties. Telangana Sona has good demand and paddy seed with 6.5 mm size has demand and only those paddy varieties should be cultivated, he added.
Long gestation paddy crops should be raised in ayacut under Godavari projects and short gestation paddy crop under Krishna river projects, the Chief Minister said.
