Rayalaseema to be a world horticultural hub in future – Ultimate goal to increase income and living standards of 9.6 lakh farmers – Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu
Bharath (Digital) National News
By – Raja Pentapati – AP Bureau Chief —————————————————————-
AMARAVATI , OCT 1
The state government has formulated a comprehensive action plan for the ‘Global Horticulture Hub – Rayalaseema Rising’ program with the aim of transforming Rayalaseema, which was once considered an address for drought, into a center for horticultural products not only for the country but also for the world, said State Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu.
The main objective of this plan is to ensure that farmers do not limit themselves to rain-fed crops that traditionally yield low income, but take steps towards horticultural crops that yield high income with less water.
The minister explained that the Integrated Horticultural Development Plan-IHDP has been formulated to provide solutions to every problem faced by farmers from water to market, not one by one, in the Rayalaseema region.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said that water use efficiency in agriculture has been given top priority from the beginning with his foresight.
The minister said that an investment of about Rs. 1 lakh crore has been proposed in the Rayalaseema Comprehensive Horticulture Development Plan. He said that a plan has been made to mobilize investments of about Rs. 40,352 crore from the public sector and about Rs. 60 thousand crore from the private sector.
He said that the program will be implemented in three phases and 201 clusters in 10 districts will be developed. The main goal of the alliance is to increase the existing horticultural area to 14.41 lakh hectares, almost double the production, and improve the income and living standards of about 9.6 lakh farmers. Atchannaidu said that we are integrating the three aspects of water-crop-market in a single plan.
He explained that quality plants, certified nurseries, good agricultural practices and modern technology will be made available to farmers.
The Minister made it clear that the government’s responsibility does not end with the cultivation of horticultural crops. He said that the farmer producer organizations-FPOs will be strengthened in each cluster and directly linked to processing companies, exporters and retail markets.
The Minister said that the progress of banana exports is a good example of this approach. Recent reports have stated that with the development of institutional partnerships, quality and transportation facilities, more than one lakh tons have been exported from Anantapur to Iran.
The Minister said that it is estimated that an additional gross value added (GVA) of about Rs. 81 thousand crores can be achieved from the third year through this comprehensive plan.
