Telangana Links Farmers to 39 Centralised Kitchens to Boost Vegetable Cultivation

<p>HYDERABAD: The Telangana government plans to link vegetable farmers directly with 39 centralised kitchens to meet the daily needs of the school breakfast programme covering around 20.50 lakh students across the state. A high-level meeting of the Expert Committee on the agricultural sector discussed the proposal at Praja Bhavan on Tuesday. Dr G Chinna Reddy, [...]<content:encoded><![CDATA[<strong>HYDERABAD:</strong> The Telangana government plans to link vegetable farmers directly with 39 centralised kitchens to meet the daily needs of the school breakfast programme covering around 20.50 lakh students across the state. A high-level meeting of the Expert Committee on the agricultural sector discussed the proposal at Praja Bhavan on Tuesday. Dr G Chinna Reddy, Vice-Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board and chairman of the committee, chaired the meeting. <a href="https://x.com/IPRTelangana/status/2087171034399252632?s=20">Officials</a> estimated that the programme would require nearly 1.20 lakh kg of vegetables every day. The meeting discussed ways to increase vegetable cultivation, create a stable market for farmers and generate income opportunities for rural women’s groups. <h3>Farmers near 39 kitchens to be identified</h3> The government will identify farmers in villages around the 39 centralised kitchens that prepare and supply food to rural school students. The exercise will include existing vegetable growers and farmers willing to take up vegetable cultivation. Agriculture and Horticulture department officials will identify suitable farmers and inform them about government schemes, subsidies and technical support. The proposed direct procurement system aims to reduce the role of middlemen and help farmers get better prices. It will also give food-service organisations a regular supply of fresh vegetables. The government also plans to involve women farmers and rural women’s groups in cultivation and supply activities. Officials said this could create additional income and employment opportunities for them. <h3>Field visits from August 17 to 20</h3> Officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development and Education departments will conduct field visits from August 17 to 20. During the visits, officials will meet vegetable growers, women farmers and rural women’s groups. They will assess their requirements and collect details on seed availability, modern cultivation methods, government schemes and subsidies. The teams will also assess irrigation facilities, marketing arrangements, procurement systems and expected prices. They will identify the support farmers need to sustain vegetable cultivation. Officials will assess the availability of vegetables in villages around the kitchens and determine whether local farmers can meet the daily requirements. District officials will consolidate the information in coordination with the District Agriculture Officer, District Horticulture Officer, District Rural Development Officer and District Education Officer. The departments will submit district-level reports to the state government by August 22. Dr Chinna Reddy directed officials to complete the assessment and prepare an action plan within the deadline. <h3>Expert committee to finalise model on August 22</h3> The Expert Committee will meet again on August 22 to review the field-level reports. The committee will examine direct procurement from farmers, the participation of women’s groups and the supply system for the 39 centralised kitchens. It will also assess requirements related to seeds, technical support, irrigation and other infrastructure. Procurement, marketing, pricing and measures to ensure uninterrupted vegetable supplies will also come up for discussion. The meeting was attended by K Surendra Mohan, Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary of the Agriculture and Cooperation Department; Dr B Gopi, Director of Agriculture; Vijay Kumar, Additional Director of Agriculture; Naveen Nicholas, Director of School Education; Rama Lakshmi, Joint Director of Horticulture; and Rajitha, Chief Operating Officer. Officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development and Education departments also attended the meeting. Representatives of the Hare Krishna Mission, Manna Foundation and Akshaya Patra participated in the discussions. The proposed system aims to create a direct link between local farmers, women’s groups, food-service organisations and schools. The government expects the initiative to strengthen the rural agricultural economy while ensuring a regular supply of fresh and nutritious vegetables for students. ]]>