Purchasing centres will remain shut in rabi: Kamalakar
Farmers who have an understanding with rice millers and seed companies to purchase their crop can cultivate paddy
Karimnagar: Since the Centre has declared that it will not procure paddy, the state government will not open purchase centres this rabi season, said minister Gangula Kamalakar on Tuesday. Farmers who have an understanding with rice millers and seed companies to purchase their crop can cultivate paddy, but the state government is focusing on alternative crops, he added.
Those who wish to opt for alternative crops must go for dryland cultivation and the state government will implement Rythu Bandhu for such crops. From 2018 to 2021, the government deposited Rs 1,203 crore into the bank accounts of farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, he informed while speaking in a Zilla Parishad meeting here.
The minister advised farmers to focus on palm oil plantations as it will give more profits to the farmers and the state government is ready to encourage such farmers and will provide subsidies as well. These farmers will not face problems due to monkeys, he said.
Congress senior leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy reminded that more farmers are cultivating paddy as it is a traditional crop and farmers are habituated to it. Telling them to opt alternative crops will create problems and the government must take necessary steps to overcome such problems, he suggested.