Hyderabad: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has sought the establishment of a regional coconut development board office in Bhadradri Kothagudem, citing expansion of coconut cultivation in Telangana .
He said only 1,300 houses were sanctioned for Raghunathapalem mandal in the first phase, despite around 9,000 ST families and other poor and eligible families living in the mandal. He sought additional houses for Telangana so that more eligible families in Raghunathapalem could be covered.
He said a regional office would help farmers access quality planting material, technical guidance, value-added products and marketing support. He said the move would encourage farmers to diversify into crops requiring less water and provide greater market security. Chouhan assured Tummala that pulses would be procured and said he would take up the issue of jowar and maize procurement with the concerned Union minister, according to a state govt release.
He also sought central procurement of jowar and maize, which are currently being procured by the state govt. He urged the Centre to consider amendments suggested by the Telangana govt to draft seed legislation and bring a comprehensive seed law into force at the earliest to curb fake and substandard seeds. Separately, Tummala met Union minister of state for rural development Pemmasani Chandrasekhar and sought additional houses for Telangana under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).
Tummala made the request during his meeting with Union agriculture and farmer welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Delhi on Wednesday.