Telangana minister seeks PMDDKY inclusion, duty hike on palm oil and GST waiver on farm machinery
Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture, Marketing, Cooperation, Handlooms and Textiles Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi to discuss farmers’ welfare. State Government Advisor Jitender Reddy, Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao, and Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal also joined the meeting.
Telangana seeks inclusion in PMDDKY scheme
The minister urged the Centre to include Telangana districts in the newly launched Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY). The scheme has an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore for six years. It integrates 36 central programmes with state initiatives and promotes private participation in low-performing districts.
Rao requested the inclusion of Narayanpet, Mulugu, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Sangareddy, and Bhadradri Kothagudem. These are rain-fed, low-productivity regions with vulnerable farming communities. He said inclusion would improve farmers’ welfare and strengthen food security. The state government, he added, would align its schemes with PMDDKY and prepare district-level action plans with agricultural universities. Moreover, it would ensure transparency through digital monitoring.
Demand for restoration of duty on crude palm oil
Telangana has emerged as a leader in oil palm cultivation with 1.06 lakh hectares under the crop. About 72,000 farmers depend on it. Rao noted that the recent cut in basic customs duty on crude palm oil from 27.5% to 16.5% has hurt farmers badly. Therefore, he urged the restoration of the 44% duty that prevailed in 2018. This, he said, would secure a minimum support price of ₹25,000 per tonne of Fresh Fruit Bunches.
Request for GST exemption on farm machinery
The minister also sought an exemption of 12% GST on farm machinery, implements, and micro-irrigation equipment. He argued that the levy places a heavy burden on small and marginal farmers. As a result, it slows the mechanisation and adoption of modern technology. Removing GST, he explained, would make tools affordable, improve yields, and enhance food security.
Call for an increase in subsidy on non-urea fertilisers
Rao further pressed for higher subsidies on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers. He said the current Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) regime favours urea. Consequently, the recommended NPK ratio of 4:2:1 has shifted to 6.6:2.6:1 by 2018-19. This imbalance, according to him, is harming soil fertility, reducing yields, and causing environmental damage through nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions.
He urged the Centre to raise subsidies on phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S) to bring parity with urea. He also recommended a uniform subsidy structure to encourage balanced fertiliser use.
Centre’s response
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan welcomed the concerns and assured that the Centre would act on the issues raised.