Tanakal: District Collector TS Chetan visited the English cucumber crop cultivated under shadenet houses at CR Palli village, Tanakal Mandal. These shadenet houses were provided to farmers at a 50% subsidy through the Department of Horticulture under the MIDH scheme, in convergence with SERP, to promote sustainable livelihoods. During the visit, the Collector expressed satisfaction with the quality of the shadenet structures and appreciated the efforts of the Horticulture Department and DRDA officials for effectively grounding the scheme.

He also commended the active participation of the Tanakal Mandal farming community. The Collector interacted with farmers, discussing crop practices, gross income, and net income, and encouraged them to continue adopting innovative farming methods.

Highlighting the need for technological advancement, the Collector suggested that officials explore the use of Artificial Intelligence to monitor climatic factors such as temperature and relative humidity for improved crop management. Later, he visited the Collection Center and Cold Room in Tanakal, developed under MIDH and RKVY schemes and provided to farmers at subsidized rates. He emphasized establishing strong marketing linkages by connecting farmers with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to ensure better utilization of these facilities. He also inspected the FPO-run Input Outlet in the area.

District Horticulture Officer Chandrasekhar, DRDA PD Narsayya, DPM Rammohan, Tanakal Horticulture Officer, FPO members, and several local farmers participated in the programme. The visit underscored the importance of convergence, innovation, and infrastructure in boosting rural agricultural livelihoods.