Hyderabad: Agricultural experts and scientists have advised the Telangana state government to conduct large-scale awareness programs for farmers on cultivating eight premium paddy varieties that enjoy high demand not only in domestic markets but also internationally.
Cabinet Sub-Committee Review
The cabinet sub-committee meeting, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday, conducted a detailed review of agricultural production, paddy procurement operations, storage facilities, and the upcoming Kharif cultivation season in the state. Professors and scientists from agricultural universities participated in the meeting and presented several proposals.
Key Recommendations
The experts emphasized that the government should take special measures to encourage large-scale cultivation of paddy varieties such as BPT 5204, Telangana Sona (RNR 15048), KNM-1638, Jai Sriram, HMT, WGL 962, WGL 44, and JGL 1798. Scientists from agricultural universities explained that these varieties possess strong market demand and can provide farmers with substantial economic benefits.
Given the consumer preference for rice produced from these varieties, farmers are likely to receive prices substantially higher than the Minimum Support Price (MSP), they said. These varieties are popular in the United States, Australia, and European countries, and can be exported, thereby making large-scale paddy cultivation feasible to some extent.
Call for Awareness Programs
The experts recommended that the government prioritize these varieties and organize special awareness programs in villages across the state to educate farmers about their benefits and cultivation techniques.
