The state government today allocated Rs. 25000 crore for the agriculture sector in its annual budget for the year 2020-21.
Talking about the agriculture sector in his Budget Speech, State Finance Minister T. Harish Rao said that sectors like commercial services, technical and communication sectors, real estate and construction sectors, etc., which has been providing significant employment opportunities in the past few years, collapsed as a fallout of corona except the agriculture sector. He said that the sector had withstood the adverse impact of the corona.
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He said that the agriculture sector, which was ridiculed as useless by the successive Governments in the united A.P. state had now withstood the shock of corona and achieved significant progress. “It can be said without hesitation that the agriculture sector played an important role even in the difficult time of corona. This has become possible because of the steps taken to reutilize agriculture and allied sectors since the formation of the State. The progressive initiatives in the agriculture sector have not gone in vain. It is clear, from the development achieved in spite of critical times, that every paise spent on agriculture has been highly productive, ” Rao said. He said that the Chief Minister of the state KCR, being a farmer himself, had extensively studied the agriculture sector of Telangana and added that the CM was aware of the root cause of the problems faced by farmers in this sector.
“Against this backdrop, he instilled self-confidence in farmers by introducing innovative programs like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, etc. It is a matter of pride that the programs introduced by the CM KCR received appreciation from the United Nations. The programs introduced in Telangana have become role models for the entire country. At the national level, several prominent people and agriculture experts have lauded these initiatives, “he said.
Rs.1500 crore to Farm Mechanisation scheme
The state government allocated Rs.1500 crore to the farm Mechanisation scheme. It said that there was a need for adopting new practices in agriculture in tune with the changing situation. “Mechanisation of agriculture has become inevitable because of the shortage of labor. Mechanization reduces input cost as well the drudgery of work. There is a saving of time and improvement in productivity. In this context, the Government has decided to support the farmers financially to enable them to procure modern farm machinery. In the last five years, the Government provided a subsidy of Rs.14,644 crore for farm mechanization. So far, the Government incurred an expenditure of Rs.951 crores towards the provision of tractors, other farm machinery, and tools, ” Harish Rao said.
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Rythu Bandhu
It allocated Rs. 14800 crore for the implementation of rythu Bandhu scheme in the state in the annual budget. It said that a total amount of Rs.14,736 crores was disbursed by the Government to 59,25,725 farmers in 2021 Yasangi and Vanakaalam seasons under the scheme. In the past three years, the Government had disbursed Rs.35,911 crores to 59,25,725 farmers. Out of the total number of farmers who have benefitted from this Scheme, 53,26,778 farmers 90 percent are small and medium farmers. The government introduced Rythu Bandhu Scheme for extending input support to the farmers in 2018. In the first phase, investment support of Rs.8,000 per acre for two crops was provided. In 2019, the amount of financial assistance was enhanced to Rs.10,000/- per acre for two crop seasons.
SOURCE-NSS
