Khammam: Puvvada Ajay Kumar says agriculture officials to Prepare agri plans for kharif season

Khammam: Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar told agriculture officials to prepare agriculture plans for kharif season following the government's directions and crop coverage proposed in the district. He held a meeting with agriculture, marketing, irrigation and civil supplies officials on regulated farming

system and Vanakalam (Kharif)-2020 crop plan here on Monday. He told them to make committed efforts to implement the new farming system introduced by the government.

The Minister said the Agriculture Extension Officers have to meet farmers every day and create awareness among them on regulated farming system. 'Farmers should be motivated to take up profitable, high yield crops that have demand in market. There should be a proper balance in supply and demand. Crop cultivation has to be taken up as per the

demand in market so that farmers could earn profits. Vegetable cultivation has to be encouraged under the new system,' Ajay Kumar noted.

The responsibility was on the officials, elected members and Rythu Bandhu Samiti in implementing the new system for the welfare of farmers. In Khammam there was no big change in crop coverage, only maize has to be replaced with red gram while the other crops remain the same, he said.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has introduced regulated farming in order to benefit the farming community in Telangana. Farmers have to give priority to fine variety paddy cultivation as suggested by the government to earn profits, he added.

Crop-wise cultivation area in acres proposed in monsoon or kharif season is as follows – paddy in 2,30,000 acres; cotton in 2,43,537 acres; mirchi in 51,150 acres; red gram in 10,000 acres; green gram in 22,000 acres; sugarcane in 6,420 acres; black gram in 320 acres; groundnut in 850 acres; jowar in 100 acres and others in 5,450 acres.

Officials have to ensure availability of seeds as per the crop plan, the Minister said. In yasangi, record level procurement of paddy and maize took place. The government has paid Rs 354 crore after procuring about 3,18,000 metric tonnes of paddy and Rs 80 crore paid after procuring 1, 48, 886 metric tonnes of maize.

District Collector RV Karnan and Additional Collector N Madhusudhan Rao were felicitated in recognition of their efforts in record procurement of grains

in yasangi.