Cabinet sub-committee reviews kharif readiness

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka stated that the people’s government is always committed to supporting and protecting the farming community. Speaking at a Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday, he emphasised that farmers should be encouraged to cultivate premium paddy varieties that enjoy strong demand both nationally and internationally.

He said the government is moving forward with the twin objectives of ensuring that even poor families have access to fine-quality rice and that farmers are economically empowered. A Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting was chaired by Bhatti Vikramarka and it was attended by Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao. The committee reviewed agricultural production, paddy procurement operations, storage facilities, and preparations for the upcoming Kharif season in the Telangana state.

During the meeting, the Telangana State Farmers’ Commission recommended that the government take special measures to promote large-scale cultivation of profitable paddy varieties such as BPT 5204, Telangana Sona (RNR 15048), KNM-1638, Jai Sriram, and HMT. The Commission noted that these varieties enjoy strong demand in domestic and international markets, thereby offering better returns to farmers.

The Commission further informed the Sub-Committee that there is ample availability of quality seed for these premium varieties and that their cultivation could significantly enhance farmers’ incomes. It recommended that the government accord top priority to these varieties and organize extensive awareness programs across villages to educate farmers about their benefits.

According to the Commission, promoting these varieties on a large scale in the coming seasons would not only generate additional income for farmers but also strengthen market opportunities. Such initiatives would help Telangana move further toward a more profitable and sustainable agricultural economy.

The Farmers’ Commission also pointed out that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been reducing procurement, creating difficulties for the state. It noted that FCI is not procuring boiled rice at all, which has adversely affected farmers and the rice industry. The Commission observed that the policies of the BJP-led Central government are creating challenges for Telangana’s farming community.

The meeting was attended by Farmers’ Commission chairman M. Kodanda Reddy, Seed Corporation Chairman Anvesh Reddy, Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra, National Millers Association President Devender Reddy, and other officials.