After regulated cropping, Telangana govt now asks farmers to frequently rotate crops

After experimenting with Cropping Regulation System for two agricultural seasons and dropping the practice, the Telangana government has now asked farmers to rotate the crops frequently.

“The practice of farmers going in for one crop on a regular basis should be done away with. There is a need to change (rotate) in crops in order to increase the yields,” Telangana’s Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, told officials.

This is a sharp contrast from the government’s stand last year when it introduced the Cropping Regulation System. The focus of the system was only on cotton and paddy, which attracted the ire of farmers. At a recent review meeting, the CM asked the officials to encourage the farmers to discuss other aspects like mechanisation as well, at the recently built Rythu Vedikas across the State.

Increased mechanisation

“There is a need to increase mechanisation in the agriculture sector. Modern methods should be employed. We need to organise meetings on crop cultivation, change in cropping pattern regularly, mechanisation, modern cultivation techniques and marketing,” he said.

He felt that Agriculture Extension Officers should tour the villages and enumerate the extent of crops that were being grown regularly.

Telangana Rythu Sangham Secretary, T Sagar, alleged that the State government lacked consistency. “The government asked the farmers to grow in a record acreage in cotton and paddy in the regulated system and now it is asking the farmers to rotate the crops regularly,” he said.

He alleged that the idea was to drive the small farmers away from farming and make the field ready for big players.

“At the formation of the State, we used to produce 35 lakh tonnes of paddy. This has gone up to 1.10 crore tonnes of paddy as the area reached 54 lakh acres in the kharif,” said the CM.

Marketing system

He told the officials to focus on the marketing of the produce.

“Notwithstanding the changes that the three Central farm laws would bring in, we need to strengthen the marketing network in the State. Agricultural markets are the only dais for the farmers to sell their produce. We will continue them in the State. We need to evolve a policy which ensures smooth flow of sales at the marketing yards,” he said.

He directed the officials to set up a Research and Analysis Wing in the Marketing department to study the demand and supply situation for various crops and provide the information to farmers time to time.