Get ready for kharif season, Minister tells officials

‘Encourage farmers to sow cotton, red gram and chilli’

Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy called upon the officials and Rythu Bandhu Samithi coordinators to get ready for kharif season and make arrangements in that direction.

“Let us encourage farmers to sow cotton, red garm, chilli and vegetables during the rainy season. Similarly, to reduce the input costs in paddy cultivation, suggest farmers to go for spraying of paddy seed instead of going in traditional system. Get ready with required quantity of pesticides and fertilizer,” said Mr. Niranjan Reddy while participating in a ‘Workshop on Preparedness for Vanakalam- 2022 (an awareness programme)’ held at agriculture university with public representatives, coordinators of Rythu Bandhu Samithi and officials on Monday.

Referring to soil tests, the Minister said that farmers should be asked to go for soil tests and based on that fertilizer need to be sprayed to protect soil degradation and to encourage them to use organic manure.

“Farming was difficult in the past. After formation of Telangana State with K. Chandrasekhar Rao becoming Chief Minister, the fate farming changed for better. The government is totally committed for complete changes in the farming sector. Only crops in demand have to be sown by farmers as per national and international norms. Teangana is the only State in the country having market research and analysis wing. Highest population in the State is dependent on agriculture and about 63 lakh families of farmers are able to get Rythu Bandhu twice a year,” said Mr. Nirnajn Reddy adding that 21% of the GSDP is from farming sector.

Informing that the cotton has an international demand and many nations had failed to produce required quantity, the Minister said that in the next three years large quantity of cotton is required in the market and we need technical expertise to pluck cotton. He said that there are several other crops that offer better revenues than paddy and an awareness need to be created among farmers.

Ministers Malla Reddy, Sabita Indra Reddy, Rythu Bandhu Samanwaya Samithi coordinator Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, agriculture department secretary Raghunandan Rao and others have participated in the programme.