Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy has asked farmers of areas surrounding Hyderabad to give up cultivation of traditional crops like paddy and instead, go for the ones that have demand in the city.
The Minister also asked the officials of the horticulture and agriculture departments to create awareness among the farming community around the city about profitability in raising crops that are much in demand in the city.
Along with Minister for Labour C. Malla Reddy, Mr. Niranjan Reddy laid the foundation stone for the construction of Rythu Vedika buildings at Keesara and Yadgarpalli in Keesara mandal of Medchal-Malkajgiri district on Wednesday.
Speaking after the ground-breaking ceremony at Yadgarpalli, the Agriculture Minister said that food demand would keep on increasing along with population and would be a commodity in demand as long as mankind existed on the globe.
Stating that cultivation of crops was necessary for sustenance of many forms of life on earth, he said that irrespective of technological advancements, which reduce time consumption for any work, production of foodgrains has to come from the soil itself.
Mr. Niranjan Reddy also said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been giving priority to agriculture since most of other economic activities would be strong only if the farming sector is sound.
Accordingly, the State government had paid extended Rythu Bandhu benefit of ₹7,253 crore at the rate of ₹5,000 per acre in spite of difficulties arising out of coronavirus pandemic.
Construction of Rythu Vedikas was aimed at mobilising and uniting farmers to work towards the common goal of making the activity profitable by dictating markets, he added.
