Telangana spending Rs 60,000 crore on agri sector: Niranjan Reddy

Telangana was the only State in the country that spends so much on agriculture and became a surplus state in agriculture production, said the Minister

Khammam: Telangana government was spending Rs 60,000 crore on agriculture and allied sectors to make agriculture profitable for farmers, stated Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy.

In the past, agriculture was the most neglected sector but things have changed after the TRS government came to power and Telangana was the only State in the country that spends so much on agriculture and became a surplus state in agriculture production, he said.

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Niranjan Reddy along with Transport Minister, Puvvada Ajay Kumar attended a meeting on Nursery Act and Regulations and Production of Chilli Seedlings in Nurseries at Raghaunathapalem Rythu Vedika in the district on Saturday.

He noted 41 per cent of the world’s chilli production comes from India and Telangana contributes 50 per cent of the country’s chilli production. The State was at the top in chilli, cotton and paddy production and Telangan’s cotton was number one in the country in terms of quality.

Recognising the growing demand for chilli around the world, the government has taken many steps to promote the crop. Owners of chilli nurseries should not compromise on quality standards and control over chilli seeds and nurseries would be brought under one department, he said.

Impressed with the quality of Telangana chillies, the Chinese have set up a plant in Khammam and were buying about 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of chillies a year. “All these happened because of the promotion of agriculture by the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao” the minister said.

Niranjan Reddy reminded that the government was setting up food processing zones all districts across the state to ensure profitable prices for farm produce. Horticulture officials need to take steps to promote oil palm cultivation on a large scale as there was a severe shortage of oilseeds in the country,

Though 21 million tonnes of oil being consumed in India and no more than 7 to 8 tonnes being available in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that Rs 11,000 crore would be allocated this year to promote oilseed cultivation in the country, following repeated appeals by the Telangana government to the Centre to recognise the importance of oilseeds cultivation.

District-wise conferences would be organised to encourage farmers to adopt crop diversification, he informed and added that the “Market Research Analysis Wing was set up to help farmers to get profitable price and farmers have to reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides.”

Minister promises to set up cold storage facility

Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy has promised to establish a cold storage facility at Agricultural Market Yard in Khammam.

He assured this in response to a request made by Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar here on Saturday. The Ministers attended the swearing in ceremony of the newly constituted Agricultural Marketing Committee, Khammam.

Niranjan Reddy asked the district officials to immediately submit the estimates for setting up a cold storage unit at the market yard. He informed that a marketing warehouse connected to the agriculture market was constructed at Jinkalatanda at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

The Minister also assured to extend his full cooperation to establish an Agricultural College in Khammam by taking the matter to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
Niranjan Reddy accused the Central government of meting out injustice to the farmers with the new agricultural laws which would weaken the agricultural marketing system in the country.

Thousands of workers who depend on the markets would lose their jobs, he said, adding even if the new agricultural laws were implemented the Chief Minister has asserted the State government would make efforts to protect Telangana markets, Niranjan Reddy noted.

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