Telangana to boost farm sector with food processing zones

Hyderabad: A day after Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said Telangana has become the 'Rice Bowl' of India, the Government intends to take the agriculture sector to a new high by setting up food processing zones across the State. The Agriculture department has been asked to identify about 16,500 acres of land across the State to establish the food processing zones. 

As per the plan of action of the Agriculture department, 500 acres of land will be identified in each district. Each zone will have food processing industrial units, godown facilities and other basic amenities, according to official sources.

The proposed agriculture food processing special zones will act as the front-end. This step, the government feels, would help in motivating farmers to go in for crop diversification.

Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said that the new initiative has twin objectives. First, it should increase the revenues to the farmers and attract the younger generation towards the farm sector.

The special zones can also act as hubs for exporting agricultural products. Thus, unleashing a series of economic activities across rural Telangana to contribute and strengthen the agriculture linked rural economy at the district level. It can help in direct and indirect employment as well.

Unveiling this vision for developing a futuristic agriculture ecosystem in the State, Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddy sought the bankers to extend economic support to these activities.

Releasing an annual credit perspective plan by NABARD pegged at Rs 1,66.384 crore for the financial year 2022-23, on Thursday, Niranjan Reddy said, "About 60 per cent people in the State are dependent on the agriculture sector."

Urging to increase the credit to the agriculture sector, the minister asked the bankers to cooperate in extending credit as per the suggestions made by NABARD for the long-term cultivation of oil palm so that the State Government can move ahead with systematic action plans.