Harish demands government to set up sunflower procurement centres in Telangana

In an open letter to the Chief Minister, the BRS leader charged the Congress regime with pushing Telangana's agriculture into a crisis

Hyderabad: Former Minister and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao lashed out at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the government’s inaction in setting up sunflower procurement centres immediately. He demanded immediate intervention to protect farmers from distress sales.

In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Harish Rao charged the Congress regime with pushing Telangana’s agriculture into a crisis. Under the previous BRS government, he reminded that oilseed cultivation was actively promoted with timely subsidies and Rythu Bandhu support. As a result, Telangana now produces sunflower on a large scale.

---

“However, despite the crop being ready for harvest, the Congress government failed to open purchase centres, forcing farmers to sell to middlemen at distress prices of Rs 5,500-6,000 per quintal, far lesser than the Rs 7,280 support price announced by NAFED,” he said.

The BRS legislator slammed the Congress government for its apathy, stating that under BRS rule, sunflower seeds were procured at fair prices through NAFED, ensuring that farmers received due returns.

He stated that due to the lack of procurement centres under the Congress rule, farmers were suffering losses amounting to Rs 1,000-2,000 per quintal. He demanded that the government act immediately, without giving the excuse of the election code, and open procurement centres Statewide immediately.

Accusing Revanth Reddy of turning a blind eye to farmers’ suffering, he warned that the Congress government’s negligence is discouraging farmers from cultivating oilseeds, ultimately pushing Telangana’s agriculture sector backwards.

“The Chief Minister should act responsibly by visiting the fields and see the hardships of sunflower farmers firsthand,” he urged.