Latest news with #TelanganaSeedDevelopmentCorporation
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Telangana urges audit of big irrigation projects, moots farmer-centric reforms; demands MSP for all crops with state authority on pricing
Telangana has advocated for a comprehensive audit of large irrigation projects before a Supreme Court panel, highlighting their impact on agricultural sustainability HYDERABAD: As debates continue around the cost and viability of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, Telangana has made a strong case before the Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee on agricultural crisis-constituted in the aftermath of the Punjab farmers' protests against central farm laws. During their interaction with the committee over the last two days in Haryana, Telangana representatives called for a comprehensive audit and review of investments in large irrigation projects, citing their direct impact on agricultural sustainability. They proposed promoting small-scale, individually-owned irrigation systems as a viable alternative to the current large-scale, publicly-managed projects, which often come with significant financial and ecological burdens. A key recommendation was to issue insurance policy documents to farmers, similar to health and life insurance formats, to offer better financial security in the face of crop failure and unpredictable climatic conditions. Telangana Rythu Commission chairperson M Kodanda Reddy, Telangana Seed Development Corporation chairperson S Anvesh Reddy, and other members of the Telangana team also stressed the importance of developing multiple use water systems, arguing that water should serve various agricultural and non-agricultural needs. Improve existing infra "Site selection for irrigation projects should be done carefully to minimise negative environmental and social impacts," they noted, while advocating for improving the efficiency of existing infrastructure and reclaiming degraded farmland instead of building new projects. Among other crucial points raised: State-wise water resource management plans should be formulated. The minimum support price (MSP) should be extended to all crops, with focus on crops like turmeric, jaggery, and mustard, given escalating input costs. Telangana also proposed that states be empowered to set their own MSP. The farmer should be recognised not just as a producer but also as a consumer, who routinely faces issues such as poor quality inputs, lack of after sales service, price manipulation, and weight fraud - areas where the Consumer Protection Act fails to fully safeguard farmers . Telangana urged the creation of special legal provisions for farmers as consumers.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Keep all inputs for Kharif ready before beginning of season's farming operations: Minister
Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao has asked officials of the department to prepare an action plan for the coming Kharif season by keeping ready the seed of green manure, seed of crops and fertilizers needed before the commencement of the season's farming operations. At a meeting with officials, the Minister said on Monday that the objective of the department should be making timely availability of all agricultural inputs till mandal level. He asked officials to prepare guidelines for the rain-fed crop cultivated in the season. He instructed the authorities to provide video conferencing facilities in another 1,000 Rythu Vedikas by June 2, in addition to the one in every mandal where the facility was already enabled. The video conferencing facility in the Rythu Vedikas would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister. The officials explained to the Minister that about 3.31 lakh tonnes of fertilizers were already available in the stock points. The Minister suggested them to get another 5 lakh tonnes of urea by the month-end. He faulted the Centre's attitude of just announcing the minimum support price for crops and procuring only a couple of them, leaving the procurement of other crops to the State governments and burdening them financially. Stating that he would write to the Centre requesting procurement of every crop for which MSP is fixed, the Minister told the officials to get the vigilance report on the complaints over cotton procurement. The officials brought to the notice the pending dues of seed subsidy to the Telangana Seed Development Corporation — ₹220.8 crore for soybean, groundnut, pulses, paddy and others from 2016 to 2025 and another ₹87.57 crore for green manure seed from 2021 to 2024.
