Agri officials to guide farmers on crop pattern, mechanisation

​Hyderabad:  After launching the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the KCR government is all set to unveil another gigantic programme for the benefit of the farming community in Telangana. The government will launch a mass contact programme of agriculture officials meeting farmers in every village educating them on various aspects of farming and mechanization from August 15. The insurance scheme for all farmers with Rs 5 lakh risk coverage will also take off on the same day.   
  
At a review meeting on the arrangements made for the meeting with all agriculture officials on June 4 in the city, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao instructed the officials to organize village-level meetings with farmers and find out difficulties faced by them in farming. 

Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs) in every mandal were asked to take the responsibility of setting up of each cluster towards establishing crop colonies, mechanization and also food processing units. Local MPs, MLAs and MLCs will also participate in these meetings.

The AEO will educate the farmer in his cluster on the cropping pattern and about the best crop that suits the soil, etc. The AEO will also coordinate the marketing facility on the farmers’ produce both within and outside the state. 

The officials have also been entrusted to monitor the distribution of LIC bonds to the farmers under the insurance scheme to be launched on August 15.

KCR said each AEO has been entrusted with looking after a cluster of 5000 acres. The officials will have a detailed information of all the farmers in the cluster and the entire information of all the clusters should be on the table of the Agriculture Minister.

KCR said farmers are in the habit of preferring cropping in a traditional way which needs to be changed by educating them and also by providing required skill to go for profitable crops. The responsibility of this lies with AEOs. The present scenario of importing flowers, fruits and vegetables should be reversed and Telangana should be in a position to export them, he added.

The Chief Minister favored quick mechanization in the state by assessing the existing facilities and the future requirement. He instructed the officials to see that the required machinery and implements are to be made available to every farmer to make use of them from nursery to harvest. Adequate budget provision will be made for funds next year.

KCR also advised the officials to post letters with Agriculture Minister P Srinivas Reddy’s signature to all the farmers briefing them about the schemes designed and being implemented.