Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy suggested fabrication of machines useful for small landholdings in the country so that farmers with limited income can afford them, and in the process also overcome shortage of labourers.
As part of the State government plans to promote mechanisation in farming, a delegation led by Mr. Reddy visited a farm machinery making unit in Rajkot, a model agriculture market committee and a groundnut processing unit, both at Gondal, in Gujarat on Thursday.
The delegation comprised Secretary (Agriculture) M. Raghunandan Rao, Managing Director of TS-Agros K. Ramulu and others.
Speaking during their visit to Shaktiman Industries in Rajkot, where several machines used in agriculture are manufactured with indigenous technology, the Minister said there is severe short of farm labourers in Telangana following huge improvement in irrigation facilities with most of the farm workers turning farmers themselves.
Farm hands from 11 States, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, migrate to Telangana during the farm seasons and get livelihood in agriculture and allied sectors, the Minister said. He stated that the farm machines made overseas were useful only to their conditions where they have large landholdings.
Mr. Reddy said about 80 lakh acres of land had come under cultivation during the last eight years with the increase in irrigation facilities and other pro-farmer measures. The State government is planning farm mechanisation on a large scale in the wake of circumstances leading to diversification of crops. He also invited the management of Shaktiman to set up their unit in Telangana.
During the visit to the groundnut processing unit at Gondal, he said the Telangana government would also encourage such units as the extent of groundnut is increasing in the State.
