Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has expressed his happiness over farmers in the State agreeing to follow the regulated crop cultivation system as suggested by the government.
The government brought in regulated crop cultivation to promote crops that have market demand and thereby make agriculture profitable to the farmers and it got good support from the entire farming community, he said.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao directed the officials to extend Rythu Bandhu assistance immediately as farmers were ready to comply with the government’s policy. The agricultural operations have already started and farmers should not face any problems for investment amount. The Rythu Bandhu investment assistance should be credited to the accounts of farmers within one week to 10 days, he said and called upon the farmers to speed up agricultural activities by utilising the amount.
Chief Minister has directed the officials to prepare an agricultural plan for yasangi season too just like the way they prepared the plan for vaanakalam in a review meeting held on implementation of regulated crop cultivation and Rythu Bandhu schemes here on Monday with Agriculture Minister, officials and CMO officials.
He reviewed the district-wise cultivation patten and examined the reports sent by the district agricultural officers and expressed satisfaction that the cultivation was going as per the directions of the government. Officials informed him that so far sowing of seeds was done in 11 lakh acres for various crops as suggested by the government. Farmers purchased seeds accordingly, said officers of the Seed Corporation.
Overall regulated crop cultivation was being followed in over 1.25 crore acres by farmers and of this paddy was being raised in 41,76,778 acres, red gram in 12,31,284 acres, soyabean in 4,68,216 acres, cotton in 60,16,079 acres, jowar in 1.53 lakh acres, green gram in 1.88 lakh acres, blackgram in 54,121 acres, castor in 92,994 acres, ground nut in 41,667 acres, sugarcane in 67,438 acres, and other crops in 54,353 acres, officers told the Chief Minister.
He said farming community of Telangana responded very well to the government’s advice and they were convinced that it was for their own good. Farmers had taken the first step and in the coming days, government would give more support to the farmers. “This is a good beginning for reaching the objective,” he said.
Though the State was facing financial crisis, government decided to give Rythu Bandhu amount of ₹5,000 per acre for vaanakalam season requiring ₹7,000 crore. Government already transferred ₹5,500 crore to the Agriculture department and the Finance department was directed to credit another ₹1,500 crore within a week, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
The Chief Minister said with the inspiration of vaanakalam planning, officers should also be ready with the agricultural plan for yasangi season and give guidance to the farmers on what crops to be raised in what extent and also provide seeds of those crops to the farmers.
Last yasangi, crops were raised in 53.5 lakh acres and this year, because of more irrigation projects providing water, additional 10 lakh to 12 lakh acres could be cultivated. The crops that were not advised for vaanakalam should be be raised for yasangi like maize in about seven lakh acres apart from paddy in 45 lakh acres, bengal gram in 4 lakh acres, ground nut in 5 lakh acres, vegetables in 1.5 lakh acres.
