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A report recommending large-scale crop diversification in Telangana was submitted to Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday at the Secretariat by Farmers’ Commission Chairman Kodanda Reddy and members. The document calls for reducing dependence on paddy and cotton by promoting horticulture, pulses, millets and oilseeds in response to shifting agricultural and market conditions.
Tummala directed Agriculture and Horticulture officials to prepare an action plan to shift at least 13 lakh acres to alternative crops within three years, citing that 1.3 crore acres are currently under paddy cultivation annually. He stressed aligning diversification with market demand to ensure remunerative prices for farmers and called for expanding oil palm cultivation from 45,000 to 100,000 acres in the next year.
The Minister urged amendments to the Central Seed Act to ensure compensation for farmers affected by spurious seeds and advocated for greater state authority in seed regulation. He also reviewed Kharif season preparedness, directing officials to maintain sufficient urea stocks by end-May and requesting the Centre allocate 90% of output from the Ramagundam Fertilizers plant to Telangana.
Officials from the Agriculture and Horticulture departments, including Director Gopi and Director Yasmeen Basha, along with Seed Corporation Chairman Anvesh Reddy and Agriculture Secretary Surendra Mohan, attended the meeting. The state government will finalize the crop diversification action plan in consultation with departmental experts and farming bodies in the coming weeks.