The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Time ripe for horticulture crops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 19, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Time ripe for horticulture crops

Staff Reporter

KADAPA: Farmers can raise horticultural plantations without making personal investments, District Collector M.T. Krishna Babu said on Wednesday.

The Government has been extending 50 per cent to 70 per cent subsidy depending on horticultural crop varieties and 30 per cent more subsidy under Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, he said in the valedictory session of a three-day training programme on State Horticulture Mission and drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. The Government would bear the costs of tilling the land, digging pits and supply of fertilisers, he said.

Mr. Krishna Babu exhorted officials to enlist farmers interested in raising horticultural plantations. Some companies may dubiously induce farmers to take up cultivation assuring cent per cent subsidy, he said. Selection of farmers should be systematic in order to avert such instances.

Farmers should be encouraged to raise crops basing on market conditions and farmers whose lands have irrigation facility should raise sweet lime crop, he said. Precautionary measures were needed to ensure that farmers did not abandon the crop due to fall in prices.

Farmers should be enlightened on post-harvest management and cold storage facilities, which should be created for getting desired results.

The Government is exploring the scope for introducing companies such as Safal in the district, in order to check role of middlemen and ensure remunerative prices to farmers, the Collector said. Micro-irrigation companies were acting irresponsibly and were ignoring field visits, he said.

He directed Assistant Director of Horticulture V.S. Dharmaja to keep a register with farmers in which representatives of visiting companies would sign. He urged company representatives to tour mandals and give timely suggestions to farmers. Horticultural officials should infuse confidence among farmers. Suggestions of successful and experienced farmers should be taken and passed on to other farmers.

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