CM Chandrababu Naidu Promises Food Processing Units in All 175 Assembly Constituencies
Naidu promised his participation in the Rythanna- Meekosam programme from November 24 to 29 and December 3.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said the state would accord priority for establishing food processing units in all the 175 Assembly constituencies as part of the MSME parks initiative.
Naidu on Friday highlighted the immense opportunity to add value to agricultural produce, thereby maximising the benefits for farmers. He was holding a review meeting on agriculture with minister K Atchannaidu and officials from the agriculture, horticulture and marketing departments.
Naidu promised his participation in the Rythanna- Meekosam programme from November 24 to 29 and December 3.
In a directive to the horticulture department, Naidu called for steps to ensure banana prices remain stable including adequate marketing support.
Banana cultivation spans 40,000 hectares across Anantapur, Kadapa and Nandyal districts. The decline in banana prices is attributed to an increase in production in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. The damage caused to export variety by rains is cited as another reason. These, instead, reached local markets.
The CM said the official machinery must guarantee minimum support price to banana farmers and improve marketing infrastructure, including the transportation of stocks to neighbouring states. Explore water transport, railways and air cargo options for horticultural produce movement, he proposed.
Naidu criticised the Cotton Corporation of India over its handling of cotton procurement in the state. “Despite the availability of slot booking via the CCI app, farmers are facing difficulties. These must be resolved to prevent any losses to cotton growers. Officials would write to the central government on this matter, he said.
On the Panchasutras initiative, the chief minister said every farmer in the RSK area be given a letter from him along with a detailed explanation of the listed five principles.
Water security also came under focus. Naidu said farmers should have access to groundwater, reservoirs and tank water storage details as also be aware of the benefits of effective water management. Under demand-driven agriculture, he said, “We must promote commercial, alternate crops and natural farming practices.”
On agritech, the CM suggested including agricultural mechanisation, drone usage and satellite technology. As for food processing, he sought awareness on value addition, FPOs (farmer producer organisations), food processing units, product perfection and packaging.
Highlighting farmer connectivity through technology, Naidu proposed wider reach of the Farmer App developed by the agriculture department. The app provides details on agricultural land, crop cultivation, weather advice, pest warnings, market prices, soil testing, and market intelligence—delivering real-time information crucial for farmer benefits.
