Mahabubnagar: Farmers urged to adopt modern farming practices

Mahabubnagar: Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy gave a call to the farming community to come out with a habit of cultivating traditional crops and advised them to adopt innovative and new cropping patterns based on market demand that would fetch them more profits with less investment and more yields.

While speaking at a programme of Rythu Aatmiya Sammelanam being organised in 41 Rythu Vedikas in Wanaparthy constituency on Monday, the Agriculture Minister said that the State government believes in protecting the farmers.

Referring to the critics of the government policies on agriculture and farmers welfare in the State by some opposition leaders, the Minister advised them to compare the situation of agriculture sector before 2014 and after 2014 in Telangana. He said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is working with the determination to make Telangana a farmer's state and is giving highest priority to the development of the farming sector and farmers welfare.

Enumerating the government's initiatives for the farmers in the State, the Minister said that 24 hour free power for agriculture, water for irrigation of crops, implementation of crop investment and farmer welfare schemes like Rythu Bhandu and Rythu Vedika are being implemented in Telangana which speaks volumes about the government's intention towards protecting the farmers interest.

However, the Minister advised the farmers that continuous cultivation of same food crops and adopting the age old agriculture practices will no longer help the farmers. "Farmers should come out of the cultivation of traditional crops.

There should be continuous discussion on crop cultivation and cultivation practices at Rythu Vedikas. There is a need for the farmers to look towards more profit earning and less investment incurring crops like horticulture, orchards, oil palm and oil seed cultivation must be given priority to earn better yields with less water, less input investment and more profits," said the Minister.

Singireddy Niranjan Reddy observed that if the farmer becomes stronger and financially sustainable, them the other systems also become stronger.

The Minister informed that very soon the government is installing digital screens at all the Rythu Vedikas, through which the agriculture extension officials will provide agriculture information and at the same time conduct regular meetings with the farmers and take measures to connect the marketing network to agriculture.

Minister added that the government will move forward with the suggestions and advices received during the discussions of farmers at Rythu Atmiya Sammelana programmes being held at all the 41 Rythu Vedikas in the constituency.

He informed that very soon the government is planning to organise a mega Rythu Atmiya Sammelanam programme where in 25,000 people are expected to take part.

Earlier the Singireddy Niranjan Reddy visited the Rythu Vedika Sammelana programmes in Gopalpet and Polikepadu villages.