Amaravati, Apr 24 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday directed officials to strengthen the agriculture sector to ensure higher income for farmers, with a focus on market-oriented cultivation and improved service delivery.
Reviewing the sector at his camp office, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to educate farmers on crops with strong market demand and guide them towards more profitable options.
He said agricultural lands should remain productive throughout the year, encouraging multi-cropping to ensure continuous income.
Naidu instructed officials to promote certification-based marketing for produce grown under natural farming, enabling farmers to secure better prices.
Referring to the decline in urea usage per hectare during the last Rabi season, he termed it a positive development.
He also called for introducing doorstep delivery of produce from Rythu Bazaars by engaging suitable agencies, aimed at improving farmer access to markets.
The Chief Minister directed officials to prepare a cluster-based development plan to transform Rayalaseema into a global horticulture hub.
He said the state is planning the world’s first dedicated Cocoa City and asked officials to identify a suitable location for the proposed 250-acre project, which will serve as an experience centre for farmers.
He further instructed officials to explore expansion of saffron cultivation in the Araku Agency region and scale up high-value crops such as avocado, fig, jackfruit, guava and pepper.
He stressed the need for value addition, including processing figs into dry fruit products.
Naidu ordered preparation of an action plan to expand horticulture cultivation to 50 lakh acres across the state.
He also said BPL farmer families should be supported with dairy and livestock-based supplementary income opportunities through government-backed initiatives.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that a statewide crop survey is underway, capturing details on crops, water resources and land usage.
They said the Farmer App now includes data on farmer profiles, land holdings, soil health, input usage, scheme benefits and weather forecasts.
Over 8 lakh farmers have registered on the app so far. The Chief Minister, however, stressed that effective usage and tangible benefits were more important than mere registrations.
Officials also said awareness campaigns under “Rythanna Meekosam” have reached over 90 lakh farmer families in two phases through a structured outreach programme.
On weather conditions, officials indicated that southwest monsoon rainfall this year may be below normal at around 92 per cent of average levels, with potential impact from El Niño on rainfed regions such as Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Kadapa, Kurnool and Prakasam districts.
As a mitigation measure, the state is implementing Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS), which helps improve yields while reducing costs, fertilizer usage and water consumption.
Farmers adopting PMDS can earn an additional ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 per acre, officials said.
The Chief Minister directed implementation of PMDS in 20 lakh acres this year.
Officials said natural farming was taken up in 9.26 lakh hectares by 17.74 lakh farmers across 4,116 gram panchayats in 2025–26.
For 2026–27, the Chief Minister set a target to expand it to all 13,300 gram panchayats, covering 25 lakh farmers and 11 lakh hectares.
The meeting also reviewed the RSK Intelligence Hub Dashboard for monitoring the functioning of Rythu Bharosa Kendras and overall agriculture performance.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure real-time updates and accuracy of data on the dashboard.
TNT KM
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