HYDERABAD: Telangana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission Chairman M Kodanda Reddy has emphasised the urgent need to expand horticulture cultivation across Telangana.
Speaking at a review meeting held at the Commission’s office, he revealed that a pilot project has been launched in three villages of Yacharam mandal in Rangareddy district to promote horticulture crops.
Under this initiative, Gaddamallayya Gudem, Mundi Gowrelli, and Choudary Guda villages have been selected to increase the cultivation area of vegetable and leafy green crops. The meeting, chaired by Kodanda Reddy, was attended by Commission Members Gopal Reddy, Bhavani Reddy, Gadugu Gangadhar, Member Secretary Govindu, and officials from Agriculture, Horticulture, Marketing, NABARD, including DAO Sandhya Rani, Agricultural Officer Hari Venkata Prasad, and NGO representatives.
Officials explained that groundwork has already begun, identifying the requirements of farmers cultivating vegetables and leafy greens in these villages. The aim of the project is to give priority to horticulture crops, particularly in areas like Rangareddy district where rainfall and water resources are limited. In such regions, Kodanda Reddy advised that water-efficient crops should be promoted and farmers guided accordingly.
He also called for the establishment of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to mobilise and empower local farmers. Extending this initiative, officials were instructed to formulate similar plans across the state to promote the cultivation of vegetables, greens, fruits, and flowers.
The government, he noted, is prepared to provide machinery and drip irrigation systems at subsidised rates for horticulture farmers. He further urged stakeholders to effectively utilise central government schemes in this sector.
To ensure the success of the pilot project, a coordination committee comprising officials from agriculture, horticulture, marketing, NABARD, NGOs, and a representative from the Farmers Commission will be formed in the coming days. The committee will oversee the project’s implementation in the three villages of Yacharam mandal and work to make it a model for expansion statewide.
