Hyderabad, July 28 (RAHNUMA): The 100th episode of the ‘Rythu Nestam’ programme was celebrated on a grand scale at the Telangana Secretariat in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The event was attended by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, Agriculture Special Chief Secretary K. Surendra Mohan, Agriculture Director B. Gopi, Horticulture Managing Director Yasmin Basha, Cooperation Commissioner Rahul Raj, Vice-Chancellors of the State Agricultural and Horticultural Universities Janayya and Raji Reddy, progressive farmers from various districts, and senior officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the government had launched the Rythu Nestam initiative by equipping Rythu Vedikas with video conferencing facilities to transform them into knowledge centres for farmers, instead of allowing them to remain underutilised as they were during the previous government’s tenure.
He said the programme was designed to bring scientists, agricultural experts, officials and farmers onto a common platform, enabling direct interaction and promoting scientific farming practices among cultivators.
The Minister noted that the programme, inaugurated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on March 6, 2024, had successfully completed 100 episodes, describing it as a testament to the confidence reposed by farmers in the initiative.
He stated that a total of 24,85,581 farmers have participated in the programme so far, including 5,26,107 women farmers. Over the past two years, 2,43,830 officials have also taken part, taking the total number of beneficiaries to more than 27.30 lakh.
The Minister said Telangana is the first state in the country to digitally connect Rythu Vedikas through video conferencing and facilitate direct interaction between farmers and agricultural scientists.
Tummala Nageswara Rao explained that Rythu Nestam, conducted every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., enables farmers to receive real-time answers from scientists to their queries, helping them make timely decisions before crop damage occurs.
The Minister felicitated progressive farmers from various districts in recognition of their contributions to agriculture.
