Andhra Government to Boosts Horticulture With Subsidies & Clusters

Vijayawada: Minister of agriculture K. Atchannaidu has vowed to promote horticulture crops in a big way by providing subsidy on micro tools like drips and sprinklers besides several incentives to the farmers in the state.

In reply to questions raised by the members, including Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy, B. Tirumala Naidu and Duvvarapu Rama Rao, during Question Hour in the Council here on Tuesday, the minister announced that they were providing 100 per cent subsidy on drips and sprinklers to the farmers from SC and ST communities and up to 90 per cent to the farmers from Rayalaseema region having five to 10 acres of land unlike the earlier practice of providing 70 per cent subsidy to the farmers having five acres of land. He added that for other farmers having less than five acres, 40 per cent subsidy would be given on micro tools to raise horticulture crops.

The minister said they had set up seven clusters for various crops like banana, chilli, tomatoe, cashew nut, turmeric, coconut and cocoa in the suitable districts where they were being raised in order to promote their cultivation in a big way. He added that they were awaiting modalities of the centre initiated programme, which is aimed at developing clusters to extend financial aid to raise such crops.

Referring to the previous YSRC regime, the minister stated that it promoted horticulture crops by using drips and sprinklers in about 2.9 lakh hectares during its five years tenure while their government did so in one lakh hectares just in eight months. He said the previous government left dues worth Rs 1,167 crore while their government cleared Rs 450 crore of the total dues to restore the scheme to provide micro tools to the farmers on subsidy basis.