Telangana to train 800 farmers as vegetable cultivation volunteers

To address vegetable storage and boost cultivation, the Telangana government will train over 800 farmers as vegetable cultivation volunteers through primary agricultural credit societies, Agriculture Secretary K Surendra Mohan said at a horticulture meet in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: In order to resolve vegetable storage in the State, the government would train more than 800 farmers as best vegetable cultivation volunteers, under the auspices of primary agricultural credit societies, who would train others, said K Surendra Mohan, Secretary, Telangana Agriculture and Co-operation Department.

Participating in the annual group meeting of All India Crop Research Project on Vegetable Crops at Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University here on Friday, Mohan said efforts were being made to strengthen the horticulture sector in the State with 12 focus areas as part of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The area under horticultural crops has doubled in the last 12 years, and this sector will be worth 747 billion dollars by 2047, said Dr. Sudhakar Pandey, assistant director general, Indian Institute of Agricultural Research.

The area under vegetable cultivation, which was three lakh acres in the past, has come down to one lakh acres and there is a need to increase this area by two times immediately, said Dr. D Raji Reddy, Vice Chancellor of Horticulture University.

During the event, AICRP annual report, annual report of the Horticultural University, and works on drone research in okra and ridge gourd were released.