Agri, Horti Varsities should focus on oil palm, farmers to use subsidy: Harish

Hyderabad, Dec.23 (Maxim News): Finance and Health Minister T Harish Rao today urged the farmers to shift to market demand crops like oil seeds, oil palm, pulses and others. Harish Rao said that the agriculture and horticulture universities have to play a key role in encouraging the farmers to take up market demand and benefit from crops like oil palm and others.

The state government will provide necessary support for oil palm production in about 20 lakh acres including 50,000 acres in Siddipet district. He appealed to the farmers to take up such crops and benefit from its yield. Harish Rao participated in the seven years of Konda Lakshman Horticulture University at Mulugu in Siddipet district here with local leaders and officials. The minister said that Rs 1.40 lakh being offered by the government to each acre to cultivate oil palm in the state. The minister said that 140 acres will be given to the horticulture university to encourage oil palm cultivation. The state government is coming forward to push for oil palm cultivation in a big way in the state. The minister asked the university professor and students to make field level visits to find related issues and come up with innovative ideas to improve production.

Harish Rao asked the varsity to focus on research and expansion of the courses and flourish by taking government help. He assured to take up the funding, jobs, recruitment, land allocation and research to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to address the same. Since the state put a fresh target for 20 lakh acres of oil palm production the farmers should take up the same, he urged. The state government under the leadership of the chief minister encouraged alternative crops to get benefits, he said. The farmers are expected to make use of the subsidy for the oil palm production and increase its yield in future, he said.

The Minister said that Telangana state is in the forefront in Horticulture, Agriculture, Irrigation and allied sectors in the country. Harish Rao unveiled a song written by noted lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja and released a related trade mark. (Maxim News)

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