By | Published: 4:33 pm 4:41 pm

Medak: Ethiopian Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Eyasu Abraha Alle on Friday said his country will adopt Telangana State government’s model of constructing irrigation dams and restore existing projects and lakes to increase ayacut and to make farming profitable.

Speaking to Telangana Today on the sidelines of his visit to International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (Icrisat) and Medak district, the Minister said that India and Ethiopia have many similarities in farm sector since their farmers also had small land holdings. Stating that most of the crops were rain-fed in their country like in India since it falls under semi-arid climatic region, Alle said the farm sector was in distress like in other Third World countries.

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The Ethiopian Minister, however, said that India was way ahead of other countries in overcoming all the challenges faced by the agriculture sector since it was adopting technology besides introducing quality seeds to increase productivity. “We have also heard that Telangana State government is in the forefront in utilising water resources by restoring tanks under Mission Kakatiya besides constructing some new projects, which eventually will increase groundwater table,” he said, adding that his country too would adopt the TS irrigation model for increased productivity in agriculture.

Later, the Agriculture Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture and Natural Resources Tesfaye Mengiste Dori and other delegates visited Rayarao Cheruvu at Narsapur and Ramachandrapur Cheuruvu in Medak district, which were restored under Mission Kakatiya. The fishermen were seen catching fish in one of these lakes. The Irrigation department officials explained how the fishermen community was benefiting from Mission Kakatiya programme.

The Ethiopian team is on visit to India to see the best agriculture and irrigation practices adopted here. The Agriculture Minister also invited representatives from the TS government to visit Ethiopia.