State poised to get highest paddy yield this year: Uttam
Suryapet: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was poised to achieve its highest-ever paddy yield this year with an estimated production of 150 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs). The government had made elaborate arrangements for paddy procurement with an initial allocation of Rs 20,000 crore, he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that that the government was working towards achieving self-sufficiency in fine rice production. For this reason, the government had announced Rs 500 per quintal bonus for farmers who cultivate fine varieties of paddy. He was speaking at an event at the integrated district collectorate complex here, in the presence of Governor Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.
The state has an annual budget of Rs 28,000 crore for irrigation projects to bring 6 lakh acres of ayacut under cultivation each year. The government aimed to achieve 30 lakh acres of new ayacut. Existing dams and irrigation projects are undergoing rapid modernisation, ensuring efficient water distribution and increased agricultural productivity, the minister said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also touched on the district’s advantages, pointing out that Suryapet is well-positioned with the Krishna river flowing through the region. The Nagarjunasagar project, located in the combined Nalgonda district, has its main left canal passing through Suryapet, providing irrigation to 6.16 lakh acres in the district.
District collector Tejas Nandlal Pawar and others attended the programme.