Telangana govt to promote high density cotton cultivation

Hyderabad: The State government is promoting high density cotton cultivation in about 20,000 acres in Telangana from this Vaanakalam (Kharif) season on a pilot basis. Based on the results, this highly profitable method will be increased to cover wider area from next Vaanakalam season. Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy, who is on a tour of […]

Hyderabad: The State government is promoting high density cotton cultivation in about 20,000 acres in Telangana from this Vaanakalam (Kharif) season on a pilot basis. Based on the results, this highly profitable method will be increased to cover wider area from next Vaanakalam season.

Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy, who is on a tour of the US, visited the Bayer Cotton Seed, Crop and Genetic Research Station at St Louis. He was accompanied by MLAs Methuku Anand, Ravindra Naik, Peddi Sudharshan Reddy and Telangana State Seeds Development Corporation managing director K Keshavulu, among others.

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In a statement, Niranjan Reddy said the US had adopted modern methods using farm mechanisation for cotton cultivation on a large scale. The high density cultivation method was yielding good results and higher yield in the US which can be adopted in Telangana. “India is the leader in cotton production in the world with 6.2 million tonnes of production every year. Adopting new technologies, Telangana can become the largest cotton producer in the country and also cement the nation’s position,” he said.

The Minister said farm mechanisation would not only reduce input costs, but also increase yield and overcome labour shortage. Maharashtra is the largest producer of cotton in the country, followed by Telangana. The representatives of Bayer Group offered to supply new seed varieties pertaining to crops like cotton, maize and vegetables, he said.