Minister Holds Meeting over Berry Borer Pest Attack
The minister revealed that approximately 80 acres in the Chintapalli area have been affected by the pest and immediate action has been initiated
Visakhapatnam: Tribal welfare minister Gummidi Sandhyarani held a review meeting with AP Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) chairman Kidari Shravan Kumar, GCC managing director and the Board of Directors on Tuesday in Visakhapatnam. The meeting had been convened to address the concerns of tribal farmers due to the spread of berry borer in coffee plantations.
The minister revealed that approximately 80 acres in the Chintapalli area have been affected by the pest and immediate action has been initiated. She instructed officials to respond promptly to complaints, conduct field visits, interact directly with farmers, and instil confidence within the farming community.
She outlined specific measures including setting up of traps with solutions to catch berry borers, eliminating them with hot water treatment and their proper disposal through burial.
“There is no need to worry about the spread of berry borer. State government will support tribal farmers in every way," Sandhyarani assured.
She highlighted the government's commitment to tribal welfare, noting that out of ₹7,500 crore allocated for tribal areas, ₹1,300 crore have been utilised for road infrastructure development.
The minister disclosed that MoUs have been signed with 18 organisations to facilitate global availability of Araku Coffee. She said Araku coffee shops will be opened across all 175 constituencies in the state. These will make available tribal products accessible to a wider audience.
The meeting discussed construction of a 12-storey building on the GCC premises at an estimated cost of ₹84 crore.
On the same day, Minister Sandhyarani inaugurated a Child Welfare Building constructed at a cost of ₹60 lakh in Chinagadili mandal of Visakhapatnam.