Telangana’s Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao has declared his commitment to transforming the combined Khammam district into a verdant agricultural hub, powered by the waters of the Godavari River. Speaking at a farmers' fair at Ashwaraopeta Agricultural College, where he was joined by Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Minister Thummala launched both an agricultural mechanisation scheme and a natural farming initiative.

During his address, Minister Thummala highlighted that the agricultural college was established with the support of the late N. T. Rama Rao (NTR) and raised concerns about the absence of distributor canals from the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Sitarama Project drafted under the previous K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) government. He affirmed that their government has now allocated funds for the construction of these canals.

In an effort to support farmers, the minister announced the relaunch of the agricultural mechanisation scheme, which he claimed had been overlooked during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime. He revealed that machinery worth Rs. 1.07 crore has been distributed to 350 farmers. Additionally, the natural farming initiative is part of the National Natural Farming Mission, aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Minister Thummala indicated that the construction of the fourth pump house would ensure that Godavari water reaches the Dammapeta and Ashwaraopeta mandals, which could enhance agricultural output. He encouraged farmers to grow crops such as cocoa, jasmine, areca nut, and pepper as intercrops within their oil palm plantations for increased profits.

He asserted that the Bhadradri Kothagudem district should lead by example in the agricultural domain, aspiring to become a national model. With plans to expand palm oil cultivation across ten lakh acres in Telangana, the minister announced that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is keen on implementing the agricultural mechanisation scheme to benefit small and marginal farmers starting from Sankranthi.

Lastly, Minister Thummala revealed the Telangana Rising Vision document aims to elevate the agricultural sector's contribution to $470 billion by 2047, urging Ashwaraopet Agricultural College to strive for excellence and recognition as a top-ranking institution. He concluded by expressing confidence that the Sitarama project would be completed with the blessings of Lord Sitarama Chandra Swamy of Bhadradri.