HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has said that 1.20 lakh hectares more of agriculture land will be brought under drip irrigation method in the State, which will greatly benefit farmers and also help in employment generation.

Inaugurating the `Nursery Mela' organised by the Horticulture Department as part of Independence Day celebrations here on Saturday, Dr. Reddy pointed out that Andhra Pradesh was in the forefront of using drip irrigation and minor irrigation in the country.

The Chief Minister was appreciative of the programme and went around the stalls to interact with the nursery owners. The five-day `mela' at People's Plaza on the Necklace Road would be on till August 16 (Wednesday).

122 stalls

This year about 122 stalls have been set up at the `mela' including nurseries, irrigation systems, garden tools and accessories, seeds, tissue culture plants, bio-fertilisers, medicinal products, horticulture recipes, etc., with bonsai plants being a special attraction. Besides participants from the State those from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat and Goa are also taking part.

Commissioner of Horticulture Anil Punetha said the department was arranging an exposure visit to about 1,500 farmers from all districts to the programme. There were more than 1,000 nurseries in the State with an annual turnover of Rs. 375 crores.

Major hub

Hyderabad, considered a major hub for production of ornamental plants, had 60-odd nurseries. The department itself had about 40 farms for producing 34 lakh fruits and ornamental plants to supply to farmers and plant lovers for the current year, he said.

The Government was giving a subsidy of 60 per cent for drip irrigation with a maximum limit of Rs. 50,000 and a subsidy of 50 per cent was being given for sprinkler systems.

Last year, the department had sold Rs. 2.5 crores worth of plant material during the `mela' and this year, he was expecting it to be about Rs. 3.40 crores.

Minister for Information & Public Relations Mohd. Ali Shabbir and MP Anjan Kumar Yadav were present.

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