Food Corporation of India (FCI) will purchase Rabi paddy from state farmers, the Agriculture Department is on a mission to redirect farmers to alternate crops. Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, the Telangana Agriculture Minister, released materials on Monday showcasing alternative crops and urged farmers not to plant paddy in the upcoming Rabi season.
Titled “Yasangilo variki baduluga itara pantalu sagu cheddam“ (let us cultivate crops other than paddy in Rabi) is being extensively distributed to farmers as part of the department’s efforts. “Raising paddy in both the Kharif and Rabi seasons does not ensure crop diversification in the state.” The Centre has previously said that boiling rice will be procured. Crop diversification will aid in soil fertility improvement. In Rabi 2021-22, cultivate crops other than paddy,” writes Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in the booklet’s foreword.
The paddy area rose from 34.92 lakh acres in 2014-15 to 1.06 crore acres in 2020-21, according to the booklet. The increase in water availability was the reason for the expansion.
The Agriculture department also released a handout that outlined the estimated yields for each alternative crop, in addition to the booklet. The several seed varieties available for these alternative crops, as well as the crop duration and other details, are all described.