Agri Minister Asks Farmers to Shift From Paddy
He assured that the state government would extend cooperation to companies interested in setting up seed gardens in the state
Nalgonda: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Sunday urged farmers to switch to alternative crops from paddy as the Centre has been gradually reducing the procurement quota of paddy from states.
The minister inspected the progress of construction works at the Godrej oil palm factory at Anjanapuram in Konijerla mandal of Khammam district.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the Central government had been reducing the paddy procurement quota from the state year after year. Hence, farmers should shift to more profitable crops to improve their income. He cautioned that farmers might face difficulties in future if they continued to depend solely on paddy cultivation.
He said the Punjab government was extending financial assistance to farmers who refrained from cultivating paddy. He also noted that cancer cases had increased in Punjab due to excessive use of urea fertiliser in agriculture. Farmers in Telangana were also using urea beyond the required levels, he said, and instructed agriculture officials to educate farmers about the harmful effects of excessive fertiliser use.
Stating that oil palm cultivation began in Khammam district during the 1980s in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh under the N.T. Rama Rao government, he said the state government was now providing a subsidy of Rs 51,000 per acre for oil palm cultivation. He said the establishment of a Godrej oil palm processing factory in Khammam district would benefit farmers.
He added that an oil palm research centre would also be set up near the Godrej oil palm factory.
The minister said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would inaugurate the Narmetta oil palm factory in Siddipet on March 22. A three-day agriculture show would be organised in connection with the inauguration, he added.
He assured that the state government would extend cooperation to companies interested in setting up seed gardens in the state.
He said oil palm could withstand both drought and heavy rains. Farmers could also cultivate intercrops such as jowar and mirchi along with oil palm, he added.
Wyra MLA Ramdas Naik, district agriculture officer D. Pulla and district horticulture officer Madusudhan were also present.