Farmers’ organisations and leaders from across political spectrum on Tuesday paid tributes to the father of Indian farmers’ movement, N.G. Ranga, on the occasion of his 123rd birth anniversary and recalled his contribution to the movement.
Taking inspiration from the veteran parliamentarian, who had entered the Guinness World Records with his long stint in Parliament, his admirers exhorted the farming community to practice organic farming to cut costs and get remunerative prices. Acharya N.G. Ranga Kisan Sabha president Alla Venkateswara Rao said crop diversification with focus on millets was the need of the hour.
Prof. Ranga dedicated his life to the farmers’ cause after his education in Oxford University in Britain and establish a political school to train upcoming politicians cutting across partylines, recalled general secretary of the farmers’ body Ch. Seshaiah.
Senior TDP leader Devineni Umamaheswara Rao exhorted the farmers to take up allied activities along with agriculture to reduce their dependence on the fickle monsoon.
TDP State vice-president D. Janardhana Rao said Prof. Ranga was a spokesman of farmers throughout his life and an inspiration to policy-makers to handhold the rural economy.
Progressive woman farmer Korlapati Aiyathamma, who runs an organic farm of multifarious crops and also a dairy farmer, was adjudged the best farmer. Velalacheruvu was declared the best primary agriculture society, Makenavaripalem the best lift irrigation scheme and Ammanabrolu as the best milk producers’ society. Agriculture students A. Rajeswari and agriculture engineering student M. Vijayashankar were honoured on the occasion.
