HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Government is hopeful of achieving a record 77.63 lakh-tonne foodgrain production by the end of the current rabi season against the normal 56.29 tonnes.

Of this, rice and maize are expected to be the major contributors with rice production expected to be as high as 49.62 lakh tonnes (against the normal 37.62 lakh tonnes) and maize 12.47 lakh tonnes (normal 7.33 lakh tones).

The net cultivated area is projected to increase from 34.17 lakh hectares to 37.53 lakh hectares. Senior agriculture officials disclosed the trends to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in an informal meet to review the situation on Sunday.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress, the Chief Minister wanted the officials to plan strategies to ensure that the agriculture sector achieves an annual four per cent growth rate during the Eleventh Plan.

Several innovative measures were planned towards this end like achieving 100 per cent seed replacement ratio through seed village scheme, increasing seed subsidy from the existing Rs. 150 crores to Rs. 450 crores during the next two years and introducing soil test-based fertilizer recommendations. The Chief Minister said several steps had been initiated to strengthen the Rythu Mitra Groups comprising tenant, small and marginal farmers.

It was proposed to provide revolving fund to the tune of Rs. 15,000 to each Rythu Mitra Group in the A category with a matching contribution from them.

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