Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, during his visit to New Delhi, urged the Union Government to strengthen the state’s farm sector. In a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he requested 16 new Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), noting that only 16 of Telangana’s 33 districts currently have one. With 70.6 lakh farmers cultivating mostly small and marginal holdings, Rao emphasized the need for expanded institutional support.

He proposed that state agricultural universities like SKLTHU, which currently runs one KVK, manage the new centres. These would focus on horticulture clusters, value addition, climate resilience, exports, and digital tools.

Rao also sought 25,000 additional sprinkler systems under the “Per Drop More Crop” scheme, citing high demand. Of 16,510 sanctioned for 2025–26, 9,346 have been distributed so far.

In a separate meeting, he urged Union MoS Anupriya Patel to address Telangana’s urea shortage, requesting 2 lakh tonnes each for Kharif and Rabi. Patel assured timely support.