Agriculture Minister S Nirajan Reddy said sericulture would be beneficial and farmers from Telangana had proved this. Technical knowledge would be an added advantage in farming, he said.
Participating in a state-level meeting of sericulture farmers, along with Finance Minister T. Harish Rao, held here Friday, Mr. Niranjan Reddy said the government had been according top priority to sericulture.
Revenue from mango cultivation on 4 lakh acres stood at ₹1,100 crore, while in sericulture, the revenue was ₹1,400 crore from 11,000 acres and urged the farmers to observe the difference.
“Unemployed youth can focus on sericulture. The revenue is far better than a software job. Farmers are saying this has been their experience in the past five years. I am also going to take up sericulture on 15 acres. Sheds can be constructed at low cost and farmers need not worry about this,” said Mr. Niranjan Reddy, adding that micro irrigation equipment would be supplied to farmers after March.
Kaleshwaram water
The Agriculture Minsiter said that construction of the Kaleshwaram project for two tmcft was completed in a record time with the initiative of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Finance Minister T Harish Rao and work was under progress for another tmcft. In another three months, Siddipet would get Kaleshwaram water, the Minister saidd.
Mr. Harish Rao said the government had spent about ₹1,000 crore for construction of godowns, and supply of free powera, agriculture instruments and tractors.
Stating that about 35 per cent of the budget was being spent on the farming sector, the Minister said investment on sericulture would yield returns for about 15 years.
Earlier in the day, sericulture farmers from various places explained how they had been reaping it rich by taking up sericulture.
