CM Proposes Agricultural Equipment Bank To Boost Farm Mechanisation

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday directed officials to establish an Agriculture Equipment Bank to promote manufacture of modern agricultural machinery, which is made available to farmers at low costs.

Reviewing the procurement of paddy, cotton, chillies and other commercial crops at the Secretariat in Velagapudi in Amaravati on Wednesday, the Chief Minister wanted the Agriculture department to ensure availability of advanced equipment and drones to farmers, so that they could improve their productivity.

He emphasised on the need for a scientific cropping system aligned with people’s food habits and market demand. He called for launching a dedicated website containing detailed information on modern farm equipment and machinery available to farmers.

Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the government has set a target of procuring 50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in 2025–26. For the current Kharif season, 18.32 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has already been procured through 2,606 procurement centres. Payments amounting to `4,085 crore have been released to farmers within 24 hours of procurement. Officer said purchases made this year are 32 per cent higher compared to last year.

Naidu directed officials to focus on cultivation of fine varieties of rice during the Rabi season. In addition, he stressed the need to encourage farmers to cultivate millets, such as ragi, jowar and bajra as alternatives to paddy and ensure their availability to consumers.

However, with regard to cotton, the CM expressed strong displeasure with the functioning of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) in the state. He accused CCI officials of creating hurdles for farmers in procurement of cotton. He instructed CCI officials to immediately resolve slot allocation and technical issues related to cotton procurement through the Kapas Kisan App. He directed officials to write to the centre highlighting these issues.

Naidu called for coordination with analytical and marketing institutions to ensure better opportunities for crops such as chillies. He directed that a meeting be held with buyers of horticulture crops, such as banana and lemon, to strengthen market linkages for farmers.

To prevent prices from crashing, the Chief Minister wanted officials to ensure that farmers receive a minimum support price (MSP). He stressed on reducing transportation costs and linking farm produce to international markets.

Those present at the review meeting included agriculture minister K. Atchannaidu, civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar and senior officials of the departments concerned.