This story is from July 24, 2020

Centre to push one district one product strategy in Telangana

Centre to push one district one product strategy in Telangana
A farmer working on his field near Shankarpally
HYDERABAD: Even as Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao is keen to push his regulated farming agenda, the Centre has now set its eyes to implement one district-one product (ODOP) scheme in states. Under ODOP, the Centre wants to change the market viability options for farmers.
Under the scheme (Uttar Pradesh is already implementing it), once the product of a district is identified, processing and marketing support would be provided to ensure a good market price for the product (crop).
“At the same time, productivity per acre can be increased,” officials explained.
The Centre has suggested Miryalaguda and Nizamabad for cultivating paddy though Nizamabad is known primarily for its turmeric crop. Jagtial will also come under focus for paddy cultivation. Sources said the state government would soon finalise a district-wise crop plan and send it to the central government.
Telangana Rashtra Rythu Samanvaya Samithi (TRRSS) president, TRS MLA MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy said regulated farming has multiple benefits as it is not limited to one season or a crop. “Even without the Centre’s prodding, the TRS government has been focused on regulated farming. Under ODOP, each district’s crop pattern will be decided and monitored. It has its own advantages,” he said.
In neighbouring AP, Chittoor tomato was picked under the ODOP scheme. Officials said tomato farmers in Chittoor district and surrounding areas could now hope for better days with the Centre deciding to support the production, processing and marketing of the edible fruit.
Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the ODOP cluster approach would be adopted to provide credit-linked subsidy for setting up two lakh micro food processing units across the country. The Rs 10,000 crore central scheme was launched on June 29.
Experts said as part of the many changes proposed in the state agricultural scenario, there would be a focused crop-based approach for each of the 33 districts.
Apart from paddy and cotton, red gram, soyabean, green gram, groundnut, maize and sugarcane are seen as focus crops in the state’s plan under the ODOP scheme. Giving the example of Punjab which once had achieved great levels of productivity in agriculture, an official said the state had failed to continue the trend because it failed to implement the regulated and focused farming.
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