The Telangana State Agriculture Minister, S Niranjan Reddy, spoke at the Seed Mela-2023 organized by Professor Jayashankar State Agriculture University. He stressed the importance of making Telangana the seed hub for the world. The minister mentioned that the State is importing certain varieties of seeds and steps should be taken to overcome this situation.
The minister also talked about the efforts of the State government in improving the agriculture sector and helping farmers in Telangana. The government ensured irrigation water was available for agriculture, and now the State is witnessing good access to water for irrigation across Telangana.
Niranjan Reddy said that Telangana has favourable conditions for seed production, and farmers should focus on this front. Seeds produced in Telangana have greater demand in other places, so efforts should be made to make Telangana grow as a seed production hub to export seeds to the entire world. He also mentioned that new technologies should be used for conserving soil health while taking higher yields and production.
The agriculture minister emphasized reducing the usage of chemical fertilizers and insecticides to protect soil fertility. He announced that importance should also be given to fodder production for cattle and establishing food processing zones.
At the Seed Mela, farmers had the opportunity to purchase seeds from several national and state organizations, agriculture and allied entities who put up their stalls in the Mela. The State Seeds Corporation chairman K Bala Koteswara Rao, Agriculture Special Commissioner K Hanumanthu, PJTSAU Registrar Prof Sudhir Kumar, Director Research Dr M Venkata Ramana, MLC Surabhi Vani Devi, Director Extension Dr Sudharani, Director Seeds Dr P Jaganmohan Rao, and several scientists participated in the Mela.
