Telangana farmers to be sent to other States on study tour

Hyderabad: Telangana farmers to be sent on education visits to different parts of the country. The tours are meant to give farmers a feel of how their counterparts in those places had opted out from traditional cultivation and adopted cultivating new crops. A decision to this effect has been taken by State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy, after his recent visit to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States. As a first, batches of farmers are to be sent Karnataka starting from February-March this year.

Appealing farmers to come out of the water-intensive cultivation of paddy and traditional cultivation practices and asked them to look at the alternative crops available to generate more income. The Minister shared his experience with the farmers while inaugurating Rythu Vedikas at Solipur, Manajipet, Kamaluddin Pur, Ghanapuram, Mamidimada, Appa Reddy Palli in Khilla Ghanapuram mandal on Tuesday.

Niranjan Reddy explained how bamboo cultivation being cultivated in Hosur of Tamil Nadu, the biggest sericulture market in Ramnagar of Malabari cultivation in Madduru Taluk of Mandya district in Karnataka.

He shared the details of his parleys with the top officials of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore and interacted with Bharati, head of Growmore Biotech and a scientist on bamboo. He said that the country is importing 7.2 lakh metric tons of petroleum products. But, this could be addressed by cultivating bamboo in 50 lakh acres in the country to produce ethanol to meet the petroleum products requirement, he added.

Further, once the bamboo is planted it would grow for 60 to 70 years and come to yield within four years of its plantation. Annually, farmers can earn an income from Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.6 lakh, he said.

Similarly, Niranjan Reddy said the Farmers Cooperatives have adopted different methods and practices and cultivation of Sri Gandham, Hydrophonic cultivation of vegetables, poly house cultivation, sericulture and Malabari cultivation are a few to name that would help farmers to adapt to increase their agricultural incomes. Niranjan Reddy said agriculture is the sector where one can create wonders.