Hyderabad: Seed mela at agri varsity tomorrow

Rangareddy: To facilitate the farmers of the State in accessing high-yielding seeds for various crops, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) is once again organising the Seed Mela on May 24 near the university auditorium in Rajendra Nagar. This event aims to showcase popular varieties of different crops and provide farmers with the opportunity to purchase them at affordable rates.

Not only will farmers benefit from this event, but the general public will also have the chance to explore and acquire seeds, particularly those of fruits and flowering varieties. The renowned Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticulture University (SKLTSHU) will have a stall at the mela, presenting seed samples of popular varieties of horticultural crops such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, and medicinal plants.

Dr Venkat Ramana, the Director of Research, reveals that approximately 15,000 quintals of seeds encompassing 45 varieties of 10 different crops will be available for sale at the seed mela. Minister for Agriculture, S. Niranjan Reddy, will inaugurate the event. Concurrently, similar seed melas will be conducted at three Regional Agricultural Research Stations in Jagtial, Palem (Nagar Kurnool district), and Warangal, in addition to the University Krishi Vignana Kendras.

Numerousdepartments of agriculture and ICAR Research units located in Hyderabad will actively participate in the seed mela, educating visiting farmers about the diverse seed varieties showcased at the event. Moreover, a farmer-scientist interaction program will be organized to apprise farmers of the latest technologies emerging in the field of agriculture.

Following a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus lockdown in 2020, this is the second edition of the seed mela in the past four years. The event was reintroduced in 2021, and it continues this year, driven by the commitment of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticulture University (SKLTSHU), and select central research institutions to support farmers with high-yielding and superior-quality seeds.