Telangana govt expects record foodgrain production this year

The Telangana government is expecting foodgrain production to be up to 84.66 lakh metric tons this year, Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy said here today.

"The average of last five years was 81.75 lakh metric tons. This year the expected foodgrains production is 84.66 lakh metric tons. It will come, there is no doubt," he said in the Legislative Assembly during a budget discussion.Sowing in the last Kharif season was 90 per cent and the Rabi was up to 120 per cent (14.48 lakh hectares against an



average of 12 lakh hectares in all crops), he said.

Responding to the criticism of opposition Congress that the allocation for agriculture in the budget 2017-18 has come down to Rs 5,942.97 crore this year from Rs 6,600 crore last year, Reddy said a fund of Rs 1,000 crore taken from NABARD was not included in the budget allocation.

He spoke at length on the challenges in agriculture sector and the measures taken by the state government to improve the situation.