Hyderabad: The Central Fertilizer Department has praised Telangana’s Urea App and directed the state to implement it across all districts before the upcoming Kharif season. This was stated by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Tuesday.
He addressed a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat with department heads from Agriculture, Marketing, Cooperation, and Horticulture. The Minister said the Centre had recognised the Urea App as a model system for digital fertilizer tracking.
Telangana to launch app for organic certification
Rao announced that Telangana will soon launch a new app to certify organic produce. The platform will enable consumers to trace how, where, and by whom the crop was cultivated. He proposed using vacant land in agricultural universities for organic farming and setting up dedicated stalls to market certified produce.
Moreover, he directed officials to intensify awareness campaigns so that government schemes reach every farmer. He stressed the need to scale up organic cultivation across the state.
Push for mechanization and timely subsidies
The Minister noted that the government has already spent ₹50 crore under the reintroduced agricultural mechanization scheme. He added that there are plans to allocate another ₹50 crore. He asked officials to draft guidelines that ensure farmers receive equipment at market prices. Furthermore, subsidies will be paid directly into their accounts.
To support fine rice cultivation, he instructed departments to recommend suitable paddy varieties. He also directed that satellite-based crop mapping be completed by month-end. This should be backed by three years of field data and ground verification.
Additionally, he asked departments to ensure adequate urea buffer stock. In addition, he directed them to work with railway authorities to increase rake points for smooth fertilizer distribution.
Full use of Central schemes and shift in deposits
Rao said Telangana had revived several long-neglected Central schemes and had already spent ₹500 crore under different programmes this year. He instructed officials to use all Central funds fully and to avoid returning any unutilized amounts.
He also ordered that deposits of all government departments be moved from private commercial banks to cooperative and urban cooperative banks. Officials must write to the Chief Secretary to formalize this shift, he said.
Focus on oil palm, local vegetables, and solar expansion
Rao called for doubling the Centre’s oil palm cultivation target. He told officials to replace underperforming companies and develop model plantations to instill confidence among farmers. Moreover, he also asked them to write to the Centre, urging an increase in palm oil import duty to 44 percent to encourage domestic production.
He pointed out the state’s dependence on vegetable imports and emphasized the need to promote local production. He instructed officials to expand initiatives like Rythu Nestham and to encourage vegetable cultivation in urban, rural, and terrace spaces.
Furthermore, he said farmers must be included in the decision-making processes of departments, universities, and corporations. He concluded by recommending solar panel installations at Rythu Vedikas and on other unused government lands. Notably, he mentioned that pilot projects had already generated surplus power.