Hyderabad: Call to cultivate more pulses, cereals

Adarsh Nagar: Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy on Wednesday underscored the need for increased cultivation and consumption of pulses in the State. He exhorted farmers to cultivate pulses and cereals which are more nutritious and healthier for consumption.

Reddy released a wall-poster for 2021 of Telangana Federation of Commerce and Industry here. The minister said that the World Pulses Day would be celebrated on February 10. He greeted the federation and advised farmers to shift focus on production of cereals.

Reddy said the country was is the biggest producer of pulses with about 20 to 22 million tonnes of pulses. "Pulses have better protein content than others as they have three per cent more than paddy and two per cent more than that of wheat. They comprise about 20-25 per cent of proteins", the minister stated.

He asked farmers and people to give priority to pulses production and consumption for good health, while stressing that "after meat and chicken, pulses and cereals are more, nutritious, and give strength."

He averred that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been encouraging farmers to grow red gram in 10.8 lakh acres. Reddy asked farmers to grow more pulses like red gram, green gram and tiger varieties to get benefits.

"Production of pulses and increase in overall productivity will boost farming with benefits", he remarked. The minister noted that the country imports about two-three million tonnes of pulses every year to cater to growing needs.