Telangana government tweaks lockdown norms for food-related units

Hyderabad: Telangana State government has issued a new order on Monday bring some changes to its earlier order giving relaxation to the movement and operation of production of essential commodities like dal, rice mills, food and related units and also feed and fodder units are allowed to operate.

The latest order also included within the list of essential commodities inorganic and organic and mixed fertilisers, seed or food crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables, seeds of cattle fodder and jute seeds.

Further, it has also declared that the Agriculture, Horticulture, Agriculture marketing departments will be fully functional to oversee continue the supply chain and transport of essential commodities, sale of fruit, vegetables and warehousing activities.

It said that currently the hybrid maize, sorghum, forage crops, pearl millet, cotton, pulses, rice and groundnut and vegetable seeds etc are in movement from production locations to Hyderabad.

Also, the seed production is done in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. "These are interdependent on the movement of seeds with Hyderabad for further handling.

Besides, the seed storage, testing, processing, grading and packing, research and development facilities at Hyderabad are now in full swing and going on in all processing units."

As more than 70 per cent of the Indian seed requirement is fulfilled by Telangana for the ensuing March, April May and June months are very critical to do all back-end process to timely supply to Kharif season. Against this backdrop, the new orders were issued giving relaxations, it said.

However, it has also imposed conditions on the management of the fertilizer and seed companies to ensure necessary precautions are taken as per the health advisories are observed.