Minister Tummala launches seed distribution under National Food Security Scheme
Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Sunday ordered the launch of seed distribution for pulses and sorghum under the National Food Security Scheme. The announcement came during the weekly Rythu Nestham programme.
Revival of schemes and natural farming efforts
Tummala said the government had relaunched the National Oilseeds Mission last week, fulfilling its promise to revive central and state-backed agricultural schemes. The Agriculture Department completed beneficiary selection under the Agricultural Mechanisation Scheme.
Soil testing is also in progress. Last season, officials collected 1.39 lakh soil samples from one mandal. They finished analysis and submitted the results. Another 1.7 lakh samples are currently under analysis. The department has also trained farmer clusters to adopt natural farming practices.
State correcting past losses, says Tummala
The Minister blamed the previous government for failing to release the required state share of funds. This decision, he said, caused farmers to lose nearly ₹3,000 crore over ten years. The earlier regime’s inaction, he added, stopped the Centre from releasing its matching grants.
Tummala asserted that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was committed to using central funds fully. The state is now releasing its matching share and reviving schemes based on available financial resources. “Farmers’ interests are our government’s top concern,” he said.
Groundnut, sunflower, and safflower seeds for 14 districts
Tummala outlined the ongoing seed distribution programme. The Agriculture Department is distributing 5,825 quintals of groundnut seeds across 14 districts. These seeds will cover 19,397 acres and are being provided with a subsidy of ₹2.68 crore.
He said the government also allocated ₹45.41 lakh to supply 83.78 quintals of hybrid sunflower seeds and 74 quintals of safflower seeds. These were sent to farmers alongside the groundnut stocks last week.
Tummala confirmed that the National Food Security Scheme would run through 2025–26 with a ₹48.54 crore budget. Demonstration fields and seed production programmes will accompany the distribution to improve adoption and effectiveness.