21-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Andhra: Officials directed to promote, encourage horticulture crops
Vijayawada, May 21 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Kinjarapu Atchennaidu on Wednesday instructed the officials concerned to promote the cultivation of quality paddy as well as horticultural crops in the state.
The Agriculture Minister held a video conference with the officials from the Secretariat at Amaravati near here. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the farmers should be made aware so that their attention is diverted not only towards the cultivation of some traditional crops but also towards the cultivation of many horticultural and commercial crops.
'New technology and artificial intelligence should be used on a large scale in the agro-allied sectors to reduce the cost of cultivation, achieve higher quality yields and expand marketing facilities,' the Agriculture Minister asserted.
Minister Atchannaidu directed all the officials to work together with the aim of achieving a 15 percent growth rate in the agriculture and allied sectors in line with the vision of the State Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
'Special attention should be paid to the issues of traceability, certification, volume and marketing. Strong arrangements should be made to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulties in Kharif crop cultivation. All types of seeds and fertilizers required for Kharif cultivation should be made available to farmers on time,' the Minister ordered the officials.
The authorities should be very vigilant to prevent the problem of fake seeds and fertilizers in the open market, he told them, adding that by reducing the use of fertilizers, natural farming and the cultivation of traditional crops have been gradually reduced and the cultivation of horticultural crops has been encouraged on a large scale.
The officials should take steps to provide CCRC cards to all tenant farmers and ensure that every tenant farmer gets a bank loan, he directed the officials. Agriculture Department Special Chief Secretary B Rajasekhar also spoke.
RYSS Executive Vice Chairman and Advisor to the Agriculture & Cooperation Department T Vijaya Kumar, Chairman of the State Seed Development Corporation M Subba Reddy, Director of the Agriculture Department S Dilli Rao, Director of the Horticulture & Sericulture Department K Srinivasulu, Director of the Marketing Department M Vijayasunitha, Commissioner of the Cooperation Department Ahmed Babu and Director of the Animal Husbandry Department Damodar Naidu were among those who attended the meeting. UNI DP SSP
