'Farmer is king' Telangana policy, says Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said that 'Farmer is the King' is not a mere slogan, but an official State policy of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's government.

Addressing a series of meetings after laying foundation stones to the Rythu Vedika works in Achampeta Assembly segment on Sunday, he said that for decades the vision of making farmer a king remained a mere slogan leaving the agriculture sector to lurch driving farmers into mass migration for work in other places.

However, the State government under Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has reversed the trend bringing changes in the agriculture of Telangana.

Niranjan Reddy said that the agricultural sector of the State and its polices have evoked immense interest for people in other parts of the country to look at it as a role model to emulate. "Telangana, which had once witnessed cries of starvation, has been transformed into 'Annapurna' (food giver) within six years of committed efforts of the State government," he added.

The new policy of regulated farming would further stand out as an ideal to be followed by the whole country in the near future. The Minister said the schemes being implemented shows the strength and commitment of the current leadership of Telangana, striving for the well being of all.

He said that the Chief Minister has asked the farmers not to cultivate maize since the huge stock of it has been piling up across the world.

Appealing farmers to follow the regulatory agriculture policy, Niranjan Reddy, said that it will help the farmers in selling their crop yields at fair prices without facing any problems in the markets. The Minister also assured that the State government will provide irrigation water to the mandals like Achampet and the main canal of the Kalwakurthi Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) would be extended till Chandranagar. Besides, he also assured to provide water to every irrigable acre of land in the combined Palamuru district.

The minister hoped that the Rythu Vedika would make the much-needed farm education and new technological practices available to the farmers. He also asked farmers not to use DP and restrict applying only 40 kgs of urea per acre, as higher usage of urea would only harm the crops.