Latest news with #AgricultureDepartment
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Govt launches procurement through MARKFED
Parchur: Minister for agriculture Kinjarapu Atchannaidu assured farmers that the state government will purchase Black Burley tobacco crops until the last leaf, urging them not to fear or be deceived. The minister, along with local MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, inaugurated the Black Burley tobacco procurement centre by MARKFED at the Agricultural Market Yard in Parchur on Thursday. The programme marks the first time in state history that the government is directly procuring the Black Burley tobacco. The government will purchase HDR and HDM grade black burley tobacco at Rs 12000 per quintal, and HDX grade at Rs 6000 per quintal through MARKFED. Minister Achennaidu appreciated the efforts of MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao for bringing the plight of the Black Burley tobacco farmers to the government's notice. He explained that the government stepped in as companies that initially pressured farmers to cultivate black burley tobacco abandoned them when the harvest arrived. He announced that the state has established five procurement centres across the region and expects to provide approximately Rs 500 crore in cash to the tobacco farmers. The government plans to procure 20 million kilograms of Black Burley tobacco, with funds already approved by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Atchannaidu emphasised that farmers should focus on alternative crops in the upcoming Kharif season to avoid a similar crisis, and said that the state may not purchase the leaf next year. MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao described this as a courageous decision by the coalition government aimed at protecting farmers. He noted that tobacco cultivation is predominantly practiced by farmers in the Parchur constituency, and the government has provided them with mountain-like support. He advised farmers to cultivate crops according to government decisions and move forward with government planning. He said that the government plans to develop new policies based on market demand, land suitability, and climatic balance to determine appropriate crop cultivation. Agriculture Department Special Chief Secretary B Rajasekhar noted that the Chief Minister reviews the farmers' crisis every two days, demonstrating the government's commitment to agricultural welfare. District Collector J Venkata Murali said that the procurement process will be conducted entirely online, with farmers receiving SMS notifications about when and how much produce to bring to the warehouses.
The Hill
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Lawmakers, USDA seek to combat New World screwworm along the southern border
Just a few hundred miles from our southern border, a flesh-eating parasite has been detected in Mexico, putting America's farmers and ranchers on watch. The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays its eggs in the open wounds of livestock, primarily cattle and sheep, deer and other wildlife, and on rare occasions, humans and pets. Once hatched, the fly's larvae feed on tissue, leading to severe infection and often death. If this parasite were ever to reach the United States, our agricultural economy and supply chain would be in serious trouble. That is not a hypothetical scenario. Flare-ups have occurred within our borders in the past, costing American producers hundreds of millions of dollars. Mrs. D., a Central Texas rancher, remembers all too well the devastation of the last major screwworm outbreak in the United States that took place during the 1960s. 'Every day from dawn to dusk, my husband would ride horseback to find animals affected by the screwworm. We worked tirelessly to ensure our livestock survived. We had to make sure our calves were born in the winter to stand a chance against the fly that caused the screwworm because the flies are not as prevalent in the cold weather.' Although screwworms were eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s using a sterilized fly technique, all the signs are there for a repeat scenario. As of March of this year, 369 confirmed cases had been reported in Mexico, creeping north from its confinement zone in Central America and towards the United States. As the representative of the largest congressional district in Texas, I have heard repeatedly from my constituents that a reemergence of New World screwworm is their biggest concern. Texas tops the charts for beef production in the nation, and some of my district's counties have more sheep and goats than live human beings. There is no doubt that a screwworm outbreak would be absolutely devastating to communities like mine. I am not alone in these concerns. In March, 43 of my colleagues joined me in bipartisan outreach to the Agriculture Department to offer congressional support on screwworm eradication efforts. I also introduced the STOP Screwworms Act along with 31 of my House colleagues and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M). This important legislation would establish a sterile fly production facility in the U.S. — a critical step in our fight to shore up our domestic infrastructure against this deadly parasite. Fortunately, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been incredibly proactive on this issue. This week, I joined Rollins to announce the launch of an $8.5 million sterile New World screwworm fly dispersal facility in South Texas and a five-pronged plan to enhance the Agriculture Department's ability to detect, control and eliminate this pest. Per the Agriculture Department, the facility in South Texas is expected to be ready within six months. President Trump and Rollins have made protecting America's agriculture industry a priority. Together, we will fight to codify executive branch wins into long-term legislative solutions. Tony Gonzales represents Texas's 23rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves as the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference and represents the largest congressional district in Texas, spanning over 800 miles of the southern border.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Rythu Bharosa: ₹6,405 crore deposited in four days
Government has disbursed ₹6,405 crore under the Rythu Bharosa scheme within four days of the programme's launch by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Fulfilling the promise made by the CM to deposit ₹9,000 crore in nine days, the Finance Department has been releasing funds daily, based on the lists provided by the Agriculture Department. As of Thursday evening, 62.47 lakh farmers across Telangana have received the assistance and the funds have been directly credited to the accounts of farmers with holdings of less than five acres. The Rythu Bharosa scheme has covered a total of 1.06 crore acres so far. The distribution includes 24.22 lakh farmers with less than one acre, 17.02 lakh farmers with less than two acres, 10.45 lakh farmers with less than three acres, 6.33 lakh farmers with less than four acres and 4.43 lakh farmers with less than five acres. The Agriculture Department assured that remaining farmers will also receive assistance in the coming days.
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
Technology-driven farming emphasised
Ongole: Prakasam district collector A Thameem Ansariya said that agriculture can be made profitable through the utilization of technical knowledge and modern machinery, and advised the farmers to utilise the support from the government. The Agriculture Department has organised an equipment distribution programme for the farmers at the Prakasam Bhavan on Wednesday. The collector participated in the programme as the chief guest and distributed drones, sprayers, plain and power weeders, and weed removal equipment to eligible farmers at subsidised rates. During 2024-25, agricultural equipment worth Rs 6.05 crore was provided to 1257 farmers in the district, with the government sanctioning Rs 2.75 crore as a subsidy. Speaking on the occasion, Ansariya said that agriculture has been given high priority in the Swarnandhra-2047 Vision Document plan. She informed that agriculture and its allied sectors have been identified as the main driving force for the district's development and measures are being taken to achieve a growth rate target of 15 percent. The Collector emphasised that farmers should observe new trends in agriculture and achieve better yields by utilising technical knowledge and machinery, thereby making cultivation profitable. She explained that the state government is providing subsidised machinery to individual farmers for their benefit. The collector said that the state government stands as a backbone to farmers by understanding their needs and ensuring an adequate supply of fertilizers and chemicals required for cultivation without any shortage.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
CM Revanth calls for comprehensive cow protection policy
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has instructed officials to formulate a comprehensive policy for cow protection in Telangana state and to establish state of the art cow shelters in four strategic locations. A three member official committee has been appointed to conduct an in depth study on the establishment of cow shelters (goshalas) and to visit other states to examine their cow protection policies. The committee comprises Special Chief Secretary to the Animal Husbandry Department, Sabyasachi Ghosh; Principal Secretary to the Endowments Department, Shailaja Ramaiyar; and Secretary of the state Agriculture Department, Raghunandan Rao. With the objective of protecting cows and alleviating their difficult living conditions, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has ordered officials to construct modern cow shelters in four places across the state. These facilities will be established on sizable areas in Vemulawada, a famous temple town where devotees donate calves as part of the 'Kode Mokku' ritual; Yadagirigutta; Yenkepally near Hyderabad city; and at the Animal Husbandry university in the first phase. During a review of cow protection efforts, the Chief Minister emphasised that the new policies should primarily focus on cow protection, given the cultural significance of cows and the sentiments of devotees. The Chief Minister expressed anguish over the high number of cow deaths among those donated in large numbers by devotees to cow shelters, attributing these losses to space constraints and other issues. The Chief Minister suggested that special attention should be paid to the protection of calves donated with utmost devotion by pilgrims. He instructed officials to establish a cow shelter sprawling over 100 acres of land at Vemulawada. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made it clear that the state government is prepared to spend liberally on cow protection. During the meeting, officials submitted an approach paper related to the management of cow shelters to the Chief Minister.
