Hyderabad, May 17: Agriculture minister N Raghuveera Reddy has directed his department officials to cover at least 50 lakh farmers during the Rythu Chaitanya Yatras commencing tomorrow.
Releasing Agriculture Action Plan for 2010-11, posters and CDs of Rythu Chaitanya Yatras (RCYs) here today along with labour and cooperation minister R Venkata Reddy, Raghuveera Reddy said that chief minister K Rosaiah wanted to provide all-out support to the farmers of the state whose mainstay was agriculture and desired to contact each family of 1.20 lakh farmers in the state.
The minister said that as a good monsoon was being predicted this year, there was hope for a record harvest in the Kharif season. For RCYs about 1,065 teams were formed which would function under the leadership of mandal agriculture officer. Along with him, officials from allied wings, banks, power and other departments would be the team members, Reddy said.
The chief minister will launch the programme on Monday at Yacharam village in Bantwaaram mandal in Rangareddy district and the minister concerned will flag off the teams in the districts simultaneously.
The programme was chalked out in such a way that the teams could visit about 50,000 habitations in the state.
Raghuveera Reddy advised officials not to make speeches or resort to propaganda but to focus on the problems of the farmers. He wanted them to observe the crop pattern of the village and suggest suitable measures for good yield. The agriculture minister wanted them to introduce the schemes of the government meant for small and medium farmers as part of the programme.
This year the government targets cultivation in 3.12 crore acres during the Kharif season and a total yield of 209 lakh tonnes in the entire year.
He said that about 32.42 lakh tonnes of seed was supplied on a subsidy of Rs 372 crore and 77 lakh tonnes of fertilizers would be supplied.
This year cotton will be included in the crop insurance scheme and chilli is also being covered in the weather-based insurance.
Labour and cooperation minister R Venkata Reddy said cooperative banks were lending generously to farmers through 2,000 branches in the state. He advised the officials not to conduct the RCYs during office hours and directed them to have interaction with farmers in the morning or evening hours.
–Agencies