HYDERABAD: The State government adopted a three-pronged strategy to make agriculture profitable. Accordingly, it will constitute two committees and a development centre. The government will constitute an Agriculture Products Marketing Committee, comprising experts in agriculture and marketing fields, to study the demand for various crops in the market and suggest to farmers which crop would be financially beneficial to them.
The government will also constitute an Agriculture Research Committee with experts to suggest improvements in agriculture practices, which includes mechanisation. As the regulated crop practice, which will begin this year, will be a permanent feature, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday decided to constitute the committees for the benefit of farmers.
Farmers must grow crops that give nutritious food, says KCR
The CM, who has been conducting review meetings with agriculture officials for the last three days, advised farmers to cultivate the crops as per the recommendations of the committee. They should raise crops that have higher demand. The Agriculture Department too should plan accordingly every year, Rao suggested.
The CM also stressed on the need to eat nutritious food and said farmers too should grow similar crops so that the living standards of people will increase and their immunity strengthens. The CM directed officials to devise plans to improve the productivity besides increasing the production. The government will set up a Cotton Research and Development Centre to help boost the crop’s productivity. Cotton is the largest crop in the State and has a great demand.
The CM said that owing to the deterioration in quality of cotton crops, farmers should ensure waste must not mix with cotton at the time of plucking. The government will also focus on growing vegetables, ginger and garlic, which are now being imported from other states. Rao mooted changes in the function of the Horticulture Department. The State will also set up a statistical wing at Agriculture Department to enumerate the crops every year. Additional Director of Agriculture was appointed as the chief statistical officer.