AP Govt seeks Centre’s support for aquaculture, tobacco farmers and Rayalaseema horticulture plan
Amaravati, July 17 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday urged the Centre to take policy measures to reduce the cost of shrimp feed, safeguard the interests of tobacco farmers and extend full support for the proposed Rayalaseema Integrated Horticulture Development Plan during a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
During the meeting at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office, Naidu said the sharp rise in the prices of raw materials used in shrimp feed production has significantly increased input costs, adversely affecting aqua farmers and seafood exports.
He said shrimp feed manufacturers have reported steep increases in the prices of key raw materials between January and April this year, resulting in an additional production cost of nearly ₹25,000 per tonne of shrimp feed.
He sought policy interventions to stabilise prices and strengthen the aquaculture sector, which supports the livelihoods of nearly 30 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh.
The Chief Minister also requested the Centre to promote domestic consumption of shrimp and aquaculture products, strengthen Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), support branding and processing, and provide financial assistance through the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) for establishing the Andhra Pradesh Prawn Producers Coordination Committee with a ₹100-crore corpus fund.
Expressing concern over trade barriers, Naidu urged the Centre to engage with the United States to reduce tariffs and duties on Indian seafood exports, stating that Andhra Pradesh accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the country’s shrimp exports.
On the issue of tobacco, the Chief Minister said high GST and excise duties on tobacco products have adversely affected tobacco farmers in Andhra Pradesh.
He said procurement has slowed significantly this season, with only 34 million kg procured against an estimated production of 230 million kg, impacting farmers, agricultural workers and allied sectors.
He urged the Centre to take measures to protect the interests of tobacco growers.
Naidu also sought full Central support for the Rayalaseema Integrated Horticulture Development Plan, which aims to develop horticulture across 10 districts in the region. The project envisages increasing horticulture cultivation to 14.41 lakh hectares and raising production to 435 lakh metric tonnes by 2030.
The Chief Minister said the proposed development of 201 horticulture clusters with an investment of ₹14,906 crore would benefit around nine lakh farmers.
He said the plan also includes 23 irrigation projects costing ₹20,884 crore and upgrading 5,721 km of rural roads at an estimated cost of ₹4,562 crore to improve irrigation, connectivity and market access.
According to the State government, the initiative is expected to attract ₹1 lakh crore in public and private investments, generate an annual Gross Value Added (GVA) of ₹81,000 crore and create employment for nearly 19.7 lakh people.
The Chief Minister invited the Union Finance Minister to participate in the launch of the Rayalaseema Horticulture Hub scheduled for August 6 and 7.
Naidu also briefed Sitharaman on the proposed Indian School of Agriculture (ISA), to be established in partnership with Reliance Industries as part of the horticulture development plan.
He said the institution would focus on artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, climate resilience, research and innovation, and requested the Centre’s support for setting up the institute.
The State government plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reliance Industries on August 3 for establishing the institution, for which land has already been identified, the Chief Minister said.
TNT KM
