Government to spend Rs. 12,000 crore on farm facilities in Andhra Pradesh

VIJAYAWADA: The state government will spend Rs 12,000 crore on developing multi-purpose farm facilities, including warehouses, drying yards, cold rooms and crop collection centres, apart from acquiring farm equipment and machinery. Tenders will be finalised by April 15 for construction of warehouses within a year, officials informed Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at a Palavelluva review meeting.

Officials said farmers are getting a fair price due to implementation of various government schemes. They pointed out that the cost of buffalo milk in YSR Kadapa district, which was Rs 44.31 earlier, is now Rs 53.95, leading to a gain of Rs 9.64.

Similarly, there is additional profit of Rs 7.80 on cow milk, whose price has increased from Rs 25 to Rs 32.80. In Chittoor district, farmers have gained an extra Rs 8.75 on buffalo milk and Rs 8.13 on cow milk. In Prakasam district, the gains are Rs. 14.15 and Rs 8.78 respectively.

Earlier, officials informed the Chief Minister that DCCBs of Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur and Eluru are in poor condition. Their licenses could be cancelled soon. They pointed out that 45 per cent of primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) are running in losses and 49 per cent of mandals are not linked to DCC banks’ network. They suspected corruption in disbursal of loans as no technology is being used to track loan distribution and collection.

Agriculture and cooperatives special chief secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, cooperative services special secretary Y. Madhusudan Reddy, commissioner and registrar of cooperative services Ahmed Babu and other officials were present in the meeting with Chief Minister.