Khammam: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao announced on Friday that the state government will strengthen agricultural cooperative societies to benefit farmers. Alongside Sathupalli MLA Matta Ragamayee, he laid the foundation stone for the Singareni Agricultural Godown near Sathupalli, a project estimated at Rs 61 lakh.Speaking at the event, the minister highlighted the government’s priority for agriculture, evident in allocating one-fourth of the budget to agriculture and allied sectors. He urged officials to submit proposals for establishing new cooperative societies if farmers requested them. The government also plans to provide agricultural tools through these societies, in addition to fertilisers and storage facilities.Minister Rao noted that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had waived Rs 21,000 crore in crop loans, relieving farmers of debt. Under Rythu Bandhu, Rs 7,000 crore was disbursed to farmers last year. Despite financial challenges, the state allocated Rs 40,000 crore to agriculture in the past year and plans to spend an additional Rs 10,000 crore by March 2025. Starting January 26, Rs 10,000 crore will be deposited directly into farmers’ bank accounts under the Rythu Bharosa scheme.He also announced a new crop insurance scheme to cover all crop types, ensuring compensation for crop damage or significant yield declines starting next season.MLA Matta Ragamayee emphasised that Sathupalli and Vamsooru mandals would receive irrigation facilities through the Sitarama project within a year. She mentioned that farmers earned Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per acre, with a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for fine rice varieties. She requested the minister to allocate funds for development projects in Singareni residential areas under the District Mineral Fund.
Source link
