Govt urged to promote premium paddy varieties

Hyderabad: Agricultural experts and scientists advised the state govt to conduct large-scale awareness programmes for farmers on cultivating eight premium paddy varieties that enjoy high demand not only in domestic markets but also internationally.

The cabinet sub-committee meeting, chaired by deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday, conducted a detailed review of agricultural production, paddy procurement operations, storage facilities, and the upcoming Kharif cultivation season in the state. Professors and scientists from agricultural universities participated in the meeting and presented several proposals.The experts emphasised that the govt should take special measures to encourage large-scale cultivation of paddy varieties, such as BPT 5204, Telangana Sona (RNR 15048), KNM-1638, Jai Sriram, HMT, WGL 962, WGL 44 and JGL 1798.

Scientists from agricultural universities explained that these varieties enjoy strong market demand and can provide farmers with economic benefits.Given the consumer preference for rice produced from these varieties, farmers are likely to receive prices substantially higher than the MSP, they said. These varieties are popular in the United States, Australia, and European countries, and can be exported, thereby making large-scale paddy cultivation feasible to some extent. They recommended that the govt prioritise these varieties and organise special awareness programmes in villages across the state.