Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said Rythu Nestham was launched to take modern agricultural technology directly to farmers. He spoke at the programme marking the 100th episode at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju and senior Agriculture Department officials attended the event. Meanwhile, lakhs of farmers joined the programme through 1,600 Rythu Vedikas across the State.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju congratulated farmers, scientists and officials for completing 100 episodes. He said Rythu Nestham had become the country’s first successful digital platform linking farmers, scientists and government officials through live interaction.
He said the government remained ready to support farmers under its contingency plan for El Niño conditions. Accordingly, it would provide seeds, technical guidance and other assistance whenever required.
Tummala Nageswara Rao said the government had converted Rythu Vedikas into knowledge centres with video conferencing facilities. As a result, farmers now interact directly with scientists and officials. The initiative has improved awareness of scientific farming practices.
The Minister said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched Rythu Nestham on March 6, 2024. The programme has now completed 100 episodes. He described the milestone as proof of farmers’ confidence.
So far, 24,85,581 farmers have participated directly. Of them, 5,26,107 were women farmers. In addition, 2,43,830 government officials joined the programme over two years. Overall, more than 27.30 lakh people have benefited.
Rythu Nestham helps farmers tackle climate challenges
The Minister said farmers receive expert answers during every Tuesday session from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Therefore, they can make timely decisions before crop damage occurs.
Tummala Nageswara Rao said technology was essential for competitive agriculture. He advised farmers to select crops based on weather, market demand and water availability. Furthermore, the programme provides weather alerts, district-wise crop recommendations and scientific cultivation practices.
The Minister said El Niño conditions and global conflicts could affect agriculture. However, he said the government and farmers could face those challenges together. He also advised farmers to consider oil palm, horticulture and other low-water crops instead of water-intensive cultivation.
Referring to India Meteorological Department forecasts, the Minister said heavy rain was likely in parts of northern Telangana over the next few days. Another low-pressure area could form around August 10. Even so, he said the rainfall would not fill reservoirs or significantly improve groundwater. He advised farmers against expanding paddy cultivation because of the current rains.
The Minister directed officials to regularly update farmers on groundwater conditions in every district and mandal. He said Telangana received only 150 mm of rainfall in July against the normal 218 mm. The State recorded a rainfall deficit of 27%. He also warned that rainfall could decline further in September.
Several progressive farmers shared their experiences during the programme. They said Rythu Nestham had helped them adopt scientific farming methods, improve productivity, expand oil palm cultivation and reduce cultivation costs. The Minister later felicitated five model farmers from every district to mark the programme’s 100th episode.