Naidu, Sitharaman, Pawan Kalyan lay foundation for Rs 1 lakh crore Global Horticulture Hub at Madanapalle
Madanapalle (Annamayya Dist), Oct 2 (TNT): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani on Friday jointly laid the foundation stone for the Global Horticulture Hub and the Indian School of Agriculture at Madanapalle.
The Global Horticulture Hub is proposed to be developed with an estimated investment of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Under the project, 5,860 villages will be organised into 201 clusters, while horticulture cultivation will be expanded across an additional six lakh acres.
The initiative aims to provide comprehensive support to farmers across the agricultural value chain, from production and marketing to processing and exports.
Addressing the gathering, Naidu said the government would focus on stabilising crop production and prices. A range of horticultural crops, including apples, strawberries, bananas, avocados, kiwis and dates, would be promoted based on regional suitability, he said.
Food processing, agri-tech, logistics and agricultural infrastructure would be developed to create an integrated ecosystem benefiting farmers. Through a comprehensive seed-to-shipment approach, the government aimed to ensure sustainable and stable incomes for farmers, he added.
The Chief Minister said Rayalaseema had significant potential to generate agricultural wealth if assured irrigation and effective marketing facilities were provided.
He said the government was working to complete major irrigation projects, including Handri-Neeva and Galeru-Nagari. The Handri-Neeva canal had been completed at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore, taking water up to Kuppam, he said.
The government planned to complete 36 priority irrigation projects at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore over the next three years, Naidu said.
Referring to climate change and El Niño-related challenges, he said nearly 1,600 TMC of Godavari water had flowed into the sea this year.
Through the Pattiseema project, around 500 TMC of water had been diverted to the Krishna Delta over the past decade, he added.
Naidu said river interlinking had helped conserve water in the Krishna Delta and divert it to Rayalaseema.
The Polavaram project would be completed next year and dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
Stressing the need for an integrated water management network, the Chief Minister said he had urged the Union Finance Minister to consider linking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers.
The proposed project could help address drought conditions in Rayalaseema and water-sharing challenges among four southern states, he said.
The Indian School of Agriculture, being established at Madanapalle with the support of Reliance Industries, would focus on agriculture, horticulture, modern farming technologies, research and artificial intelligence, Naidu said.
The institution would develop practical solutions to address farmers’ needs, he added.
The Chief Minister thanked Sitharaman for her support to Andhra Pradesh and major national infrastructure projects.
He also appreciated Anant Ambani for supporting the establishment of the institution and recalled his contribution of electric buses to Tirumala.
Speaking on the occasion, Anant Ambani said he shared a close association with Andhra Pradesh and requested Naidu to consider him a son of the state.
He sought the Chief Minister’s guidance on how he could contribute further to its development.
Responding to Ambani’s remarks, Naidu embraced him and described him as a beloved son of Andhra Pradesh, expressing hope that Reliance Industries would play an even greater role in the state’s development.
Sitharaman, meanwhile, recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Swadeshi and Swaraj and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, highlighting their emphasis on farmers’ welfare.
She also noted former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s contribution to strengthening the foundation for agricultural development.
Following the same vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced several initiatives for farmers, including the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi and measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fertilisers, she said.
Despite global challenges and disruptions caused by wars, the Union government had ensured that farmers did not face fertiliser shortages, Sitharaman added.
TNT KM
