Hyderabad: Seed fairs began across Telangana on Tuesday as the State government launched a week-long programme to make quality certified seeds available to farmers through Rythu Vedikas.
Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao and Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy inaugurated the seed fairs online from Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi under the ‘Rythu Nestham’ programme. The Agriculture Department is conducting the fairs across the State from June 23 to June 30.
The ministers said the government had taken special measures to encourage the cultivation of fine rice varieties that enjoy strong demand in domestic and international markets. They said the government had identified seven fine rice varieties after consultations with agricultural scientists and experts.
Accordingly, the State decided to provide a bonus to farmers cultivating the selected varieties. The ministers said the initiative would encourage the production of premium-quality paddy and improve farmers’ returns.
Further, the government made seeds of alternative crops available in view of prevailing weather conditions. These include pulses, oilseeds and vegetable crops. Officials said the seed fairs would help farmers select crops suited to local conditions.
Seed fairs to offer technical guidance for farmers
The programme will not only facilitate seed sales but also provide technical support to farmers. Agriculture officials, scientists from agricultural universities and staff from allied departments will guide farmers on cultivation practices, crop management and methods to improve yields.
The Agriculture Department has arranged large quantities of seeds for the fairs. Officials made available 1,24,649 quintals of paddy seed, 6,913 quintals of pulse seeds, 11,815 quintals of oilseed varieties and 1,339 quintals of vegetable seeds.
In addition, the department stocked nano urea and nano DAP fertilisers to meet farmers’ requirements during the cropping season.
The inaugural programme was attended by Jagtial MLA Sanjay Kumar, Narsampet MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy, Palakurthi MLA Yashaswini Reddy and Telangana State Seeds Development Corporation Chairman Anvesh Reddy.
Meanwhile, district collectors, agriculture officials, agricultural scientists, public representatives and farmers from various districts joined the programme online.
The ministers urged farmers to make use of the seed fairs until June 30. They encouraged cultivators to purchase quality seeds and gain awareness of scientific farming practices through the programme.
రాష్ట్రవ్యాప్తంగా రైతు వేదికల్లో విత్తన మేళాల ప్రారంభం
రైతులకు నాణ్యమైన, ధ్రువీకరించిన విత్తనాలను అందుబాటులోకి తీసుకురావాలనే లక్ష్యంతో తెలంగాణ ప్రభుత్వం వ్యవసాయ శాఖ ఆధ్వర్యంలో రాష్ట్రవ్యాప్తంగా రైతు వేదికల్లో నిర్వహిస్తున్న విత్తన మేళాలను రైతు నేస్తం’ కార్యక్రమమం ద్వారా… pic.twitter.com/x8Mx2P0AjM
— IPRDepartment (@IPRTelangana) June 23, 2026