Minister Focuses on Scientific Farming

Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao stated that the state government is fully prepared with a proactive strategy to tackle any situation arising from the El Niño impact and to protect farmers from losses. He announced a three-phase contingency plan scheduled for July 15, July 30, and August 15, with the first phase set to begin on Wednesday. Officials, including collectors and agriculture officers, have been directed to ensure that scientific recommendations provided by experts are effectively communicated to farmers and implemented on the ground. The minister chaired an emergency review meeting at ICRISAT with senior officials, scientists, and representatives from agricultural and meteorological departments.

Highlighting the challenges ahead, the minister said rainfall is expected to remain below normal in the coming weeks, and water levels in reservoirs are not encouraging. He stressed the adoption of scientific farming practices and promotion of low water-consuming crops, especially under borewells and wells due to depleting groundwater levels. Farmers have been advised to sow seeds only after adequate soil moisture is available. The government has arranged sufficient seed supply across all three phases and will issue weekly bulletins at the mandal level with updates on water availability, crop conditions, and advisory measures to support farmers.