Government to fast-track research infra to benefit farmers

Hyderabad: With an aim to enable farmers to cultivate vegetables and minor fruit varieties having market demand, the State government is all set to speed up research infrastructure development for the transfer of latest related technology to the cultivators.

To achieve this objective the State government will improve research infrastructure developmentat Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University (SKLTSHU) to encourage research and development programmes in this regard.

The initiative also aims at making it certain that the vegetables, besides the specified fruits varieties are cultivable throughout the year. In turn, this would boost the annual income of farmers which will improve their living standards.

According to SKLTSHUVice-Chancellor C Pardhasarathi, the technical know-how extended by the university to the farmers' production associations (FPAs) formed under the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) has helped in marketing 100 tonnes of mangos.

Similarly, now the university is expected to make similar support of technical know-how in regard to vegetables, to empower farmers, he added.

Parthasarathi, who is also the Principal Secretary to the State Agriculture Department (SAD) said scientists take forward and develop the precision farm technology and work alongside the farmers.

This would help the scientists to introduce the technical know-how forfarmers and make them adopt them along with the best horticultural practices in growing vegetables and minor fruit varieties.

Under minor fruit varieties of tamarind, jamun and primogenitor cultivation would be encouraged. Similarly, steps would be taken to bring best practices to cultivate vegetables like broccoli, red cabbage, Brussels fruit and other exotic vegetables having market demand.

That apart, the State's environs are also identified as suitable for growing dragon fruit, short jamun, Brazilian and Nagpur orange verities. And, experiments would be fast-tracked to support farmers with the much-needed technical knowhow to cultivate them.

Besides, the steps will also be taken on the cultivation of turmeric and chamomile (Chamanthi) flower.

As part of this planning, the State government is fast-tracking the establishment of basic infrastructure needed to carry out research at the Mulugucentre of the university.

Further, the SAD is also planning to hold brainstorming sessions with the scientists working on each crop to figure out the kind of technical know-how needed to be transferred to farmers to cultivate different varieties of vegetables and fruits.