Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Naidu seeks Israeli help for developing horticulture

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Dec.2. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has sought the cooperation of Israel in developing infrastructure, technology, knowledge sharing and joint R&D efforts, for ushering in a "Golden revolution" for horticulture. After the green revolution (agriculture), white revolution (milk), and blue revolution (fish), it is now the turn of the golden revolution, he said.

He was addressing members of the visiting Israeli Agriculture delegation and those of the Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Tuesday.

Israel was doing extraordinary work in drip and micro-irrigation, and it was the best system to replicate in India also, he said and informed the Israeli delegation in the presence of the Israeli Ambassador, David Danieli, that seven companies had been identified for taking up the Andhra Pradesh Micro Irrigation Project costing $240 millions.

Of these, two to three were Israeli companies. The aim of the project was to help reduce costs, and the State as also the Centre would waive all taxes for micro irrigation projects. This month, he would submit a report to the Centre on the project, Mr. Naidu said. The Government was giving priority to modernising agriculture and establishing backward and forward linkages.

Referring to the Israeli Micro Irrigation project in Kuppam, he said $10 millions had been invested since 1997 and 10,000 acres covered under the project. Net returns showed an increase from $100 to $920 per acre.

Making a presentation on the initiatives taken by the State in various fields, he said 4,321 MW additional power was generated, which was the highest in the country. The State had installed capacity of 10,359 MW. It was investing $40 millions building a new international airport.

Mr. David Danieli said Andhra Pradesh had become a model for India's agriculture. Israel was a semi-arid country with no major water sources. But its agriculture was the success story of hard work, ingenuity , R&D and innovative initiatives. He was looking forward to replication of the Kuppam Project in other districts, he said.

The Agriculture Minister, Vadde Sobanadreeswara Rao, said despite deficiency in natural resources Israeli farmers had achieved unimaginable success of 700 per cent increase in agriculture over 25 years. I. Kiriati, Director of Israel Export and Cooperation Institute, and Ken Sagar, President, Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce and Industry, spoke.

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