Hyderabad: Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao has told officials to step up efforts to expand vegetable cultivation among farmers in Telangana.
Tummala on Tuesday reviewed horticulture crop progress with department officers at the Secretariat. He pointed out that a large share of vegetables is still being procured from outside states and called for immediate steps to motivate local farmers to meet regional demand.
He said a structured plan was necessary to help farmers grow vegetables required within the state. The Minister stressed pushing large-scale vegetable farming around districts close to Hyderabad, naming Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Mahabubnagar, Siddipet, Sangareddy, and Medchal. He asked officials to tie crop planning to market needs through the Center of Excellence, supporting farmers with technical guidance.
On oil palm, Tummala directed that the annual target be closed by December with strict weekly milestones. He noted the lack of monthly reports on plantation progress and warned against delays in farmer payments. He asked agriculture and horticulture wings to work in close coordination to remove bottlenecks.
