Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy addressing a gathering after inaugurating a Rs 300-crore palm oil factory at Narmetta in Siddhipet district on Sunday.
He also released the first tranche (₹3,447 crore) of the Rythu Bharosa funds. The scheme provides financial assistance to farmers to buy farm inputs ahead of the kharif season.
As many as 70 lakh farmers will be covered under the scheme. The funds are being released in three tranches over 45 days ahead of the upcoming season.
Addressing a gathering later, the Chief Minister said that the oil palm plantation in the State has crossed the three-lakh-acre mark. “The State will procure the output even if the area crosses the 10-lakh acre mark,” he said.
Earlier he visited various stalls set up as part of the ‘Farmers festival’ and laid the foundation stone for a palm oil refinery. He also laid the stone for developmental works worth ₹775.72 crore, including the ₹141-crore project to provide drinking water and an underground drainage system in Siddhipet municipality.
“The Bharast Rashtra Samithi Government spent only ₹2,533 crore a month for farmers’ welfare. But we are spending ₹5,500 crore every month for this purpose. We have so far spent Rs one lakh crore over the last two years,” he said.
Stating that Telangana emerged as the number one State in the country in paddy cultivation, he called for crop rotation. “Earlier, farmers used to grow different crops in different areas. There used to be a number of horticultural farms around Hyderabad. We need to encourage farmers to diversify into other crops,” he said.
“The State procured 71 lakh tonnes of paddy this time. But the Centre is not lifting more than 50 lakh tonnes. Keeping this in view, we should promote crop rotation. We should chalk out plans in this regard,” he said.
Published on March 22, 2026