Hyderabad: Finance Minister T Harish Rao today emphasized the need for oil palm production, an increase of godowns capacity, and exports of quality produce. He was addressing a Nabard conference on state loan finance plan at Hotel Marigold here in the Ameerpet area.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman B Vinod Kumar, Nabard CM Ramkrishna Rao, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, principal secretary Ramakrishna Rao and others attended the meeting.
On the occasion, Harish Rao has asked the agriculture banker to give Rs 2 lakh loan to farmers to grow oil palm to reap benefits. Since irrigation systems are in full swing, water and moisture are more the farmers are growing paddy up to 90 percent.
We need to change them to oil palm produce and other commercial crops to get the benefit as it gets no monkeys’ menace and wild boars. The oil palm production will help increase the country’s economy and push farmers’ income, he averred. Give the farmers adequate and timely loans to increase farm production and get more income, Harish Rao asked the Nabard officials.
The Minister instructed that the Nabard has to focus on farmers’ welfare through continuous programs. We need to increase storage capacity, marketing, exports, better and quality packaging of farm products and MSP, the minister said.
He asked Nabard to coordinate with state departments to ensure the speedy delivery of the services to farmers. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has built irrigation systems by spending huge funds he said. As a result, the paddy, cotton, and other crops are being produced more by our farmers more than expected, he claimed.
The minister attributed this period of the golden harvest to the vision of the Chief Minister. Supply mechanism, equipment, and inputs with funding to farmers to plow and gain more, he advised. The minister maintained that Nabard’s aim is farmers’ welfare and through continuous support.
Help the farmers get necessary and timely financial support at the field level by offering guidance for modern and benefit making practices. Due to lack of workers, we focus on using equipment, mechanization for farming activities Harish Rao said.
He said that the Chief Minister has been successful in his efforts to protect farmers’ interests. Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, 24-hour power supply, and other schemes are only implemented in Telangana. Let us focus on alternative farming activities to get more benefits he added.
