In Hyderabad, Agricultural Minister S Niranjan Reddy urged all opposition parties to look beyond politics and encourage farmers to engage in diversified crop agricultural practises. He also informed the farmers about the dangers of repeatedly planting the same crop. Planting the same crop repeatedly, he claims, increases soil salinity and reduces crop yield significantly.
While discussing the agriculture budget, the Minister stated that Telangana’s agricultural sector is flourishing due to the assistance provided by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. The overall crop production has increased due to the increase in cultivation area, which has increased from 1.34 crore acres to 2.15 crore acres since 2014. The crop yield in 2014 was 1.54 crore tonnes, and it is now 3.4 crore tonnes. Paddy and cotton yields have also increased since 2014. Cotton production has increased by 60% while paddy crop production has increased by 220 percent.
“In order to maintain the same growth and production of the agriculture sector, we must educate the farmer and promote crop diversification,” the agriculture minister stated.” He also added that the center does not think progressively, otherwise, it would have promoted the idea of crop diversification and also have encouraged food processing companies instead of declining the procure paddy from Telangana. In response to this, the Minister said that due to the scarcity of sunflower seeds last season, the state government was trying to import the sunflower seeds from next season and was also making efforts to provide them to Farmers.
He also stated that those who supplied faulty seeds to the state would face criminal charges. He also informed about the establishment of a chilli research centre in the rural constituency of Warangal.