Rayalaseema to become global fruit bowl under Rs 1 lakh crore plan

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu plans to develop Rayalaseema as a global horticulture hub across 10 districts and 201 clusters. The proposed project involves nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in public and private investment to boost production and exports

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced plans to transform the Rayalaseema region of the state into a global fruit bowl by developing it as a world-class horticulture hub.

The Chief Minister directed officials to transform the drought-prone Rayalaseema region into a global centre for horticultural crops.

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“Naidu announced plans to transform Rayalaseema into a global fruit bowl by developing it as a world-class horticulture hub,” an official release said late on Thursday.

On October 2, the southern state will launch an integrated horticulture hub programme at Madanapalle in Annamayya district, where the foundation stone will also be laid for the Indian School of Agriculture.

Naidu said the objective was to create a horticulture ecosystem capable of taking Andhra Pradesh’s horticultural produce to international markets.

The CM said the Rayalaseema Integrated Horticulture Hub would be developed across 10 districts, including the erstwhile Prakasam district, through 201 clusters.

Reviewing the proposed horticulture hub, he said development works involving nearly Rs 1 lakh crore would be taken up under a public-private partnership model. Of this, the government would invest Rs 40,000 crore and the private sector Rs 60,000 crore, the release said.

Recalling the severe drought and rainfall deficiency that had affected Rayalaseema in the past, Naidu said several initiatives have now created a more favourable environment for agriculture.

He said water was being brought to the drought-prone region through micro-irrigation, Handri-Neeva and Galeru-Nagari projects, along with the construction of farm ponds and check dams.

The CM said water had been brought through the Handri-Neeva canal for nearly 660 km up to Kuppam.

With industries ranging from Kia to defence projects coming up in the region, Rayalaseema has witnessed industrial transformation, and the horticulture sector should now drive the next phase of economic transformation, he said.

According to the CM, the Rayalaseema region was turning its drought into an opportunity and moving from distress towards development.

Naidu directed officials to integrate horticultural crops, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), food-processing industries and marketing systems across 201 clusters in 10 districts.

He called for strengthening FPOs at cluster, constituency, district and state levels and encouraging farmers to form FPOs and collectively market their produce, following a model similar to the cooperation among Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) groups.

Further, the CM also reviewed measures to reduce the impact of El Niño on agriculture and directed officials to prepare an alternative crop plan based on production, consumption and trade opportunities.

It was decided to approach the Centre regarding the cultivation and procurement of crops such as chickpea, black gram, green gram, red gram, ragi, maize, jowar and onion, as well as Minimum Support Prices, the release said.

The CM directed the Agriculture Department to use AI-based analytical systems to identify crops that would provide maximum benefit to farmers and consumers in different regions, including advanced measures to prevent inflation.