To make Telangana self-sufficient in seed production, the state government is planning to establish special food processing zones for both the seed and food processing industries. Telangana, which has become a seed bowl of the world, is still importing certain varieties of seeds, according to Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy, who suggests that farmers focus on seed production to make up for any shortfall.
The Minister, who launched the Seed Mela 2023 on Wednesday at Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University here, said Telangana has favorable soils and climate for the production of various seeds, making it ideal for farmers to diversify cultivation methods and focus on seed production.
“Seeds from Telangana have huge demand in domestic and international market. As the demand is expected to increase further considering the growing need for crop production, farmers should take up seed production as per the market demand to maximise their profits,” he said.
Observing the scarcity of natural resources in relation to the growing population, Niranjan Reddy urged scientists and government officials to focus on increasing crop yield. He emphasized the importance of raising farmer awareness about the need to reduce excessive fertilizer and pesticide use in order to avoid damaging soil fertility. Farmers were advised to engage in cattle farming and fodder cultivation to alleviate the shortage of animal feed in Telangana and neighboring states.
On the occasion, the Minister emphasized the importance of a comprehensive agriculture policy in the country that will benefit all stakeholders, particularly farmers. He stated that the agriculture sector had grown significantly as a result of the Telangana government’s pro-agricultural and farmer-friendly initiatives.
He stated that Telangana accounted for approximately 56 lakh acres out of 94 lakh acres cultivated for paddy in the country during the recently concluded Yasangi (Rabi) season, indicating the State’s significant role in future food grain production in the country.
More than 45 crop seed varieties were made available to farmers at the Seed Mela 2023, where seeds for around 10 crops, including paddy, maize, and others, were kept for sale at the PJTSAU, as well as Palem, Jagtial, and Warangal agricultural research stations. At the Seed Mela, several research and academic institutions, including PJTSAU and ICAR (Indian Council for Agricultural Research), set up stalls.
MLC Surabhi Vani Devi, Telangana Seed Corporation chairman Konda Balakoteswara Rao, Agriculture special commissioner K Hanumanthu, PJTSAU registrar Sudhir Kumar and several agricultural scientists and farmers representatives participated.
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