Bihar Agri Minister Meets Tummala Nageswara Rao in Hyderabad for Policy Talks

Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha met with Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao at the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Wednesday to discuss mutual cooperation in the agriculture sector. The two ministers held extensive discussions on exchanging technological knowledge, studying best practices, and expanding crop diversification practices between the two states.

During the meeting, Rao explained the technology-driven initiatives implemented by the Telangana government to support farmers. He highlighted digital programs such as weather alert dissemination, farmer video conferencing through Rythu Nestham, satellite-based crop monitoring, digital crop booking, the Urea Booking Application, and farmer identification through AgriStack.

Rao also elaborated on the AI-based 'Krishivas' crop monitoring system, which detects crop-related issues at an early stage to allow timely intervention. He noted that these measures reduce input costs for farmers, raise productivity, and enhance overall profitability.

Highlighting state welfare schemes, Rao detailed the implementation of Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, a one-time farm loan waiver of up to Rs. 2 lakh, and annual assistance of Rs. 12,000 per acre under Rythu Bharosa. He stated that the government has spent around Rs. 1.50 lakh crore on farmers since assuming office and provides a Rs. 500 bonus for fine-quality paddy, maintaining Telangana's position as a leading paddy producer.

Regarding crop diversification, Rao shared that Telangana is expanding cultivation of maize, red gram, soybean, mango, red chilli, turmeric, and oil palm. He noted that during 2025-26, oil palm was cultivated across 3.11 lakh acres in the state, producing 74,000 metric tonnes of crude palm oil with an extraction ratio of 20.01 percent. Sinha sought detailed information on Telangana's incentives for oil palm cultivation, processing mills, nurseries, and micro-irrigation infrastructure.

Sinha presented Bihar's agricultural policies, noting that 91 percent of Bihar's farmers are small and marginal, and 77 percent of its population relies on agriculture. He explained that Bihar is developing specialized crop clusters for makhana, maize, fruits, vegetables, and millets. Both ministers agreed to further strengthen agricultural ties to improve productivity and market opportunities for farmers in both states.