Telangana Demands Immediate NAFED Action to Save Soybean Farmers

State Minister Jupally Krishna Rao met Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy at the Pen Ganga Guest House in Adilabad during the latter’s district visit and urged the Centre to immediately initiate government procurement of soybean through NAFED to protect farmers from distress sales. The meeting focused primarily on the serious problems faced by soybean farmers in Adilabad and neighbouring districts due to crop damage and falling market prices.

Jupally Krishna Rao explained that unseasonal rains had severely affected the soybean crop, leading to deterioration in quality and discoloration. As a result, farmers were unable to secure remunerative prices in the open market. He said procurement at market yards was irregular and slow, forcing farmers to wait for days to sell their produce. With procurement coming to a halt at several centres, soybean stocks have accumulated in farmers’ homes across villages, increasing losses and deepening financial distress.

The State Minister stressed that only timely intervention by the Central government through NAFED procurement under the Price Support Scheme would ensure farmers receive the Minimum Support Price. He said such a step would provide immediate relief to soybean growers. Jupally noted that the State government was committed to resolving farmers’ issues but emphasised that Central cooperation was essential to stabilise prices and restore confidence among farmers.

The demand for NAFED procurement comes in the backdrop of Telangana’s sustained efforts in New Delhi to address farmer-related concerns. In October this year, the State Agriculture Minister had formally urged the Centre to initiate MSP-based procurement of soybean and maize under the Price Support Scheme, citing market prices ruling well below MSP. Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy also took up fertiliser availability issues with Union ministers during his Delhi visit, highlighting the impact of urea shortages on farmers during the Kharif season.

During the Adilabad visit, the Union and State ministers also inspected the Neradigonda market yard, where farmers raised complaints about delays in procurement and lack of basic infrastructure. The leaders interacted directly with farmers and assured them that their grievances would be addressed in a phased manner, with efforts underway to streamline procurement and improve facilities at market yards.

Later, Union Minister Kishan Reddy and Minister Jupally Krishna Rao jointly inaugurated a state-of-the-art 50-bed Critical Care Unit at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, built at a cost of ₹23.75 crore. The facility is expected to significantly enhance emergency and critical care services, offering advanced oxygen support and super-specialty treatment to patients from Adilabad and surrounding districts, and reducing the need for referrals to Hyderabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Jupally said the government’s focus was on strengthening public healthcare infrastructure across the state. He recalled that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the historic Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad with an estimated investment of ₹2,700 crore. He said the government was not only investing in buildings but was also addressing staff shortages to improve the quality of healthcare services.

The State Minister added that the government was committed to filling vacant posts of doctors, nurses, paramedical and other healthcare staff in RIMS and all government hospitals across Telangana on a war footing. He said the 2025–26 State Budget reflected this priority, with ₹24,439 crore allocated for agriculture, ₹23,373 crore for irrigation, and ₹12,393 crore for the health sector. Bringing transformative reforms in agriculture and healthcare to build a “Healthy Telangana” while safeguarding farmers’ interests remains the government’s core objective, he said.