Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy has said no one in the society would live better than a farmer, if he gets a remunerative price to the produce.
As part of a tour to Maharashtra to study the cropping patterns, diversification, agri-produce (food processing) based industries, a delegation led by Mr. Reddy visited Jalgaon area and visited banana plantations, onion seed farms, a micro-irrigation park and others in the area besides interacting with progressive farmers.
He complimented the crop diversification being practised in Jalgaon area, where banana plantations are spread in about 1.25 lakh acres. He felt the need for dividing the farmlands in the country into crop colonies based on soil types and local weather conditions so that farmers could take up crops suitable to those areas as also those having good demand in the market.
The minister stated that with the help of legislators accompanying him in the visit – Balka Suman, Ala Venkteshwar Reddy and Peddi Sudershan Reddy and officials – Horticulture Director L. Venkatrami Reddy and senior officers of the department, Sarojini Devi and Subhashini – the government would encourage Telangana farmers take up banana plantations in areas suitable for it. A team of farmers would also be sent to Jalgaon for studying the banana cultivation practises.
The Telangana delegation visited the Jain micro-irrigation park, one of the largest tissue culture lab and horticulture nurseries and onion seed farms. They also had a meeting with Managing Director of Jain Group Ajit Jain. He invited the Jain Group to set up its units in Telangana and offered cooperation from the State Government.
Stating that Telangana was known for production for aflatoxin-free groundnut, the minister suggested the Jain Group to explore the possibility of food processing units based on quality groundnut such as peanut butter making and others.
Later, the delegation visited banana plantations at Tandalwadi village in Raver Taluka of Jalgaon district and interacted with the farmers there.
