NCP chief Sharad Pawar lauds TS agriculture policies

Hyderabad: Former Union Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar appreciated the State for giving top priority to the agriculture sector.

Recalling his party extending support to the formation of separate Telangana, during an interaction with the State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Friday, Sharad Pawar inquired about the impact of the recent unseasonal rains on the agriculture sector in the State.

Niranjan Reddy met the NCP chief on the fourth day of his official visit to Maharashtra at Sri Someswara Farmers Cooperative Sugal Factory at Baramati near Pune.

Sharad Pawar expressed that the abandoned water resources in the rural areas and the Hyderabad city would give a fillip to the development of Telangana.

The former Union Minister said that he discussed different challenges faced by the agriculture sector, formation of pro-farmer policies and innovative agriculture practices for the development of the agriculture sector with Niranjan Reddy.

The Telangana Agriculture Minister after visiting the cooperative sugar factory said that Sharad Pawar is considered as the harbinger for the development of agriculture sector in Maharashtra.

His efforts in giving a fillip to the farmers cooperative system, starting cooperative industries, Krishi Vigyana Kendra (KVKs) proved as role models.

He said that underlining the importance of the collective strength of farmers would yield amazing results, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has brought the new Panchayat Raj Act. Besides, the Rythu Bandhu Committees would help empower the farmers, he said.

He added that to give a fillip to the agriculture sector in Telangana, the State government has been facilitating the development of agriculture sector by providing free power, water, crop investment, Rythu Bima etc, to empower farmers and the agriculture sector.

Added to these, the Rythu Bandhu Samithi's has to play a key role in bringing farmers together for the development of increasing the production and integrated marketing system.

Similarly, usage of technology and tools, purchase of fertilizers, sale of farmers produce should have a comprehensive mechanism to ensure farmers play an important role. This would not only make agriculture profitable for the farmers but also sustain it, he said.