Regulated farming good: KCR
Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekhar Rao, on Thursday declared that only farmers who will cultivate crops suggested by the government on the lines of new farming policy will to receive the Rythu Bandhu assitance.
Mr Rao was addressing an extended conference at the Pragathi Bhavan on regulated farming with ministers, senior officials, corporation chairpersons, district collectors, district agricultural officers, district Rythu Bandhu Samithi presidents, agricultural university officials and scientists.
Disregarding all ecological advice, Mr Rao made it clear that the regulated farming policy being propagated by the state government was only aimed at ensuring that farmers in the state prosper through scientific crop cultivation based on expert advice. Mr Rao said that farmers will be able to get better prices by growing crops that have demand in the market.
While urging farmers to make full use of the suitable soils, climatic conditions and good rainfall to their advantage, Mr Rao said “The state government is farmerfriendly and would like to see them become competent to take on world markets.”
Interestingly, Mr Rao pointed out that farmers were suffering losses because they were growing the same crops all over the state leading to a glut in the supply side and a low demand that finally ends in crashes in the prices for their produce.
Contradictorily, Mr Rao went on to say that during the last vaanakalam (kharif) season , farmers grew paddy in 40 lakh acres and this year too, they will be taking up paddy to the same extent.
Additionally, Mr Rao said that as cotton cultivated in the state has a good demand in the national and international markets, the state government has decided to extend cotton cultivation to 70 lakh acres as against
53 lakh acres last year. As a concession, Mr Rao suggested that farmers take up red gram in
15 lakh acres instead of7 lakh acres and farmers are free to grow soybean, turmeric, mirchi and vegetables to the same extent of land as last year.
Stating that farmers are free to take up seed farming and green manure if they wish, he nevertheless advised them not to take up maize in vaanakalam and instead take it up in the yasangi (rabi) season.
He pompously announced that being a farmer himself, he offered to build a Rythu Vedika (Farmers’ meeting hall) in his Erravalli farm cluster at his expense. Inspired by his decision, the ministers at the meeting also offered to construct at least one Rythu Vedika at their own expense.