It's a farmers' budget, says Singireddy Niranjan Reddy

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Monday described the State Budget for 2023-24 as 'people and farmers budget'.

He thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for allocating Rs 26,831 crore for the agriculture sector. Reddy said the allocation of Rs 26,885 crore to the agri-allied water sector shows the governbment's commitment to overall development of agriculture and allied water sectors.

He thanked the FM for allocating Rs 1,000 crore for oil palm cultivation. Overall Rs 53,700 crore out of Rs 2.9 lakh crore Budget to the sectors of agriculture, agri-allied water sector is a big boost to these sectors, he added.

The minister said Telangana is the only government which since 2014 agriculture and allied sectors got Rs 1,91,612 crore allocation. The pro-farmer and agriculture policies will set an example for the country, he asserted.

Earlier, presenting the Budget for 2023-23, Finance Minister T Harish Rao said the overall expenditure on the agriculture sector from 2014 till January 2023 is five times more than what had been spent in a decade prior to formation of Telangana. He said agri growth boosts other sectors of the economy.

Profitable and sustainable agriculture in the State has become a torchbearer for the country. Farmers all over the country are demanding that the farmer welfare schemes being implemented in Telangana should be implemented in their States.

The schemes include Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, free 24-hour uninterrupted quality electricity, farm loan waiver, renovation of tanks, completion of pending projects, distribution of fertiliser promptly, seed distribution, control of spurious seeds, appointment of agriculture extension officers, Rythu Vedikalu, drying platforms, Rythu Samanvaya Samithies and implementation of other agricultural reforms.

"The government is extending a helping hand to farmers right from ploughing to purchasing every seed offered for sale by them", he said. The average growth rate of gross value added by agriculture and allied sectors at constant prices in the country is 4 per cent from 2015-16 to 2021-22; it is 7.4 per cent in Telangana. The significant increase in the cultivation area by 2020-21 touched 215.37 lakh acres from 131.33 lakh acres in 2014-15. During the same period, the production of paddy increased from 68.17 lakh MT to 2.02 crore.

Under the Rythu Bandhu it is the only State to provide investment support of Rs.65,000 crore to 65 lakh farmers. The Rythu Bhima scheme is providing immense comfort to farmers' families. So far, financial assistance of Rs.5,384 crore has been made available under the scheme to about one lakh families of farmers.

He said the government decided to encourage oil palm cultivation in 20 lakh acres to improve farmers' income. For subsidising oil palm plants, fertilisers and drip irrigation, the government is providing separate budgetary allocations. A total amount of Rs.1,000 crore is proposed in the Budget for oil palm cultivation.