Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday declared that natural farming would receive top priority in Telangana’s agricultural strategy in the coming years.
He made the announcement during a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Community Natural Farming (APCNF) representatives, including retired IAS officer Vijaya Kumar, who presented success stories of farmers achieving improved incomes and health through natural farming practices adopted in various states and abroad.
Telangana natural farming priority to benefit over 61,000 farmers
Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan and Director Gopi informed the Minister that 489 natural farming clusters have been established this year. These cover 61,125 farmers across the state, with a funding allocation of ₹42.07 crore from both state and central sources.
Minister Tummala stated that outdated notions about poor yields from organic practices no longer hold true. He noted that farmers under natural farming schemes have started earning better net incomes from the first year itself.
The Minister added that natural farming methods enable cultivation of up to three crops annually, even in arid zones. These techniques reduce weed and pest problems while boosting the market value of healthy, chemical-free produce.