Telangana Agriculture Minister Seeks Drought Relief From Centre For 315 Mandals

Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has sought a set of drought-relief and farm-support measures from the Centre during a virtual meeting chaired by the Union Agriculture Minister.

Rao said drought conditions were prevailing across 315 out of 621 mandals in Telangana, while different sections were awaiting relief measures from the Centre.

He requested the Centre to provide wage employment work to farmworkers and take up water conservation works widely under the VB-G RAM G programme.

Requests for farm and water support

Rao also sought an additional budgetary allocation for micro irrigation implements and inter-cropping seed.

He reiterated his request for 100% procurement of maize, jowar and other major crops.

Rao suggested that the Centre lift the 25% cap on the procurement of these crops under the minimum support price-price support scheme operations.

He further sought rationalisation of fertilizer prices and subsidies.

The minister said these measures were necessary in the wake of the El Nino impact on the State and would help farmers control their losses to some extent.

‘Khet bachao abhiyan’ from October 22

Rao stated that the ‘khet bachao abhiyan’ would be implemented in the State from October 22 to 30, in association with national agricultural institutions and universities.

The campaign was mentioned alongside the requests for irrigation support, inter-cropping seed and procurement measures as Telangana faces drought conditions across a substantial number of its mandals.

Rao also said farmers would adapt to changes in crop patterns only if the produce from their existing crops was procured entirely at minimum support price.

His request therefore linked crop-pattern changes with assured procurement of existing produce at MSP.

Source: The Hindu