Telangana aims to double farmers' income

Hyderabad, July 27 (INN): Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) and Principal Secretary C. Parthasaradhi has said that in the coming five years the farmers income should be doubled by approaching them with a ground level agriculture infrastructure planning.

An interaction meeting was organised by the NABARD in their office with the representatives from the Agriculture and allied departments of Government of Telangana, APEDA, CREDA, Agriculture University scientists for preparing potential- linked plans for each district.

The APC, in his key note address said that the agriculture sector in Telangana State was dependent on rains and there was a need to promote dry land farming crops like apple Ber, Guava, Sapota, Custard Apple, Pomegranate, Amla which requires less rainfall. He said that the Government of Telangana was restoring tanks and small water bodies for storing rain water and increasing ground water levels. He also said that the government was promoting farm ponds, Micro irrigation ways and successfully implementing the PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana) scheme in the state.

Parthasaradhi said that the potential linked credit plans estimates the potential of credit absorption in various agricultural sectors and sub sectors in every district, a holistic view of the infrastructural gaps and ways to bridge them. He said that the PLP (2017-2018 to 2021-22) would delineate a road map for the five year period with detailed projections for the 2017 -18 for each sector in consonance with the Government of India, State Government, District Priorities. He also said that the Government of Telangana is planning to recruit around 1000 Agricultural Officers with fully equipped ICT appointing them for every 2000 hectares of agricultural land. He said that it is the first such state level group interaction to study the ground level priorities of major sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, Irrigation, Agriculture infrastructure.
He also expressed that a farmer's income is depended on the cost of cultivation and the minimum selling price that he receives for his produce. He said that the state has a suitable climate for the production of the good quality of seeds and also for its storage, around 400 private seed producing companies have established their processing units in the state. He also said that the government is promoting fisheries, animal husbandry, micro irrigation, e-NAMs, soil health management through organic farming for the benefit of farmers.

NABARD Chief General Manager S. Radhakrishnan said that the interaction would build a road map to double the income of the farmer. He also said that the potential credit plan will give updated status of the farmer from the ground level and support the farmer in the best way possible.
The meeting was attended by NABARD General Manager Toolika Pankaj, representatives from various departments.