Hans News Service Hyderabad

ChiefMinister A Revanth Reddy ordered officials to take necessary measures to promote vegetable cultivation in coordination with the Agriculture Department across Telangana. Announcing that the government is ready to provide required seeds at subsidized rates to farmers, the Chief Minister emphasized the need to focus on areas surrounding newly constructed centralized kitchens, which supply breakfast and mid-day meals to students in government schools, for growing vegetables.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to create awareness among farmers regarding organic methods for cultivating vegetables and other crops. Officials were ordered to take steps for direct procurement of produce grown by farmers and appoint extension officers from the Agriculture Department to educate cultivators in relevant areas. On Thursday, an Expert Committee submitted a report to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy regarding the impact of El Nino conditions at Bodhi Pavilion in the MCRHRD institution.

The committee made several important recommendations to the government to address current El Nino impacts in Telangana and outlined an emergency action plan.

The panel suggested formulating village-wise contingency plans to promote the cultivation of pulses, oilseeds, millets, and vegetables, providing seeds for these crops at a 75 per cent subsidy, and sanctioning new loans for alternative crops.

The expert committee also advised encouraging fodder cultivation through subsidized fodder seeds and ensuring uninterrupted power supply for irrigation. Providing technical guidance to farmers via agricultural university scientists, promoting vegetable cultivation in villages surrounding Hyderabad, arranging transport facilities to Rythu Bazaars, offering financial assistance for establishing dairy units in rural areas, and forming village-level teams to monitor contingency measures were discussed during the meeting. State Planning Board Vice-Chairman G Chinna Reddy and members of the expert committee participated in the review session.