Hyderabad: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday emphasized that the future of Telangana’s agriculture lies not merely in increasing production, but in enhancing the value of farm produce. He called for a decisive shift towards value-based, market-oriented farming.
Minister Advocates Technology Adoption
Speaking at the 62nd foundation day celebrations of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTAU), the minister stated that technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, and precision farming must be rapidly adopted to bring revolutionary changes to the agriculture sector. He stressed that improving farmers’ incomes requires a stronger focus on value addition and market integration rather than only output expansion.
PJTAU's Role in National Benchmarking
The minister urged PJTAU to play a leading role in positioning Telangana as a national benchmark in agriculture, particularly by driving innovation and technology-led transformation in the sector. Highlighting the university’s contribution over the decades, he noted that PJTAU has developed 525 crop varieties in the past 62 years, significantly shaping agricultural productivity in the region and beyond.
He observed that rice varieties such as Telangana Sona, BPT-5204, and MTU-1010, along with maize hybrids from the DHM series, have earned widespread acceptance among farmers across the country.
Vision 2047 Unveiled
A plan for 2047 was released on the occasion of the foundation day on Friday, outlining a structured shift towards climate-smart agriculture, digital farming systems, and market-linked rural development. The plan is built on three core pillars: education, research, and extension, which aim to improve adoption and rural livelihoods.
By integrating these three pillars, PJTAU aims to evolve into a globally competitive institution and secure a place among the world’s top 100 agricultural universities.
