KTR tells farmers, study China, Israel’s ways of agriculture to double their income

Siddipet: The IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao has said that there was a serious need to study China and Israel’s ways of agriculture to make the farmer’s income double in Telangana.

Expressing his views during the Cabinet Sub-committee meeting on Agriculture at Sri Konda Lakshman Telangana State Horticulture University at Mulugu in Siddipet district on Thursday, the IT Minister said that only China had doubled their farmer’s income double by adapting innovative methods while Israel was also known in the world for modern agriculture practices. The meeting was held under the leadership of Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy.

Since 60 to 65 per cent of India’s population was still depending on agriculture and allied sectors, Rama Rao said that there was a serious need that the government must strive to increase their income which will eventually fuel the growth of the State. Stating that innovative agriculture practices make a lot of difference, Rao said that China and India’s GDP was the same in 1987.

However, he said that China’s GDP had touched 16 trillion while India was lagging a way behind with a 3 trillion GDP now. Accusing the union



government of ignoring the farming sectors, the IT Minister has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power by promising to make farmers’ income double, but he made no concrete efforts towards that during the last eight years.

Stating that there was a need to make the Green, White, Blue, Pink and Yellow revolutions a success in Telangana to increase the farmer’s income, Rao said that the paddy fields in Telangana be converted into fish ponds to enhance the income of farmers. Worrying that not many among the younger generation were showing interest in agriculture and allied fields, he said that many will come forward to pursue carrier in agriculture if they adopt modern technologies. He further observed that the children must be encouraged to pursue a career in farming from childhood.

Saying that there was the need to create a new policy by taking the opinions of traditional and modern farmers, Rao said that there was a need to set up farmer training centers on a spacious 25 acres of land in all the 32 districts to train the farmers.

Talking about the crop insurance scheme, Rao said that insurance should be made taking crops as units in place of the existing Pasal Bheema.