Amaravati, Mar 13(TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the NDA coalition government was giving top priority to farmers’ welfare and was committed to modernising the agriculture sector through technology.
Participating in the PM-Kisan–Annadata Sukheebhava third instalment fund release programme held at Surampalli in Gannavaram constituency of Krishna district, Naidu, along with farmers, virtually watched Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address from Guwahati.
The Prime Minister and the Chief Minister together credited Rs 2,670 crore directly into the bank accounts of 46.85 lakh farmers in the state under the scheme.
Addressing the gathering, Naidu said the government was focused on strengthening agriculture and improving farmers’ incomes through modern technologies.
Referring to the impact of ongoing global conflicts, he said agricultural and poultry products such as bananas and eggs were currently facing market challenges and the government was exploring alternative markets for them.
Stating that he was the son of a farmer and had a deep understanding of agriculture, Naidu said the Pattiseema project had ensured irrigation water to the Krishna delta and stabilised agriculture in the region. He added that the government was committed to completing the Polavaram project, which he described as the lifeline of the state.
The Chief Minister said the government aimed to bring modernisation into agriculture by promoting technologies such as drone-based seed sowing and drip irrigation.
He also announced that the state government planned to establish an ‘Indian School of Agriculture’ on the lines of the Indian School of Business to provide farmers with advanced guidance on modern farming methods.
Naidu further said a ‘Cocoa City’ would be established over 500 acres in Eluru district to promote cocoa cultivation and allied activities.
Apart from financial assistance, the government had also procured 4.7 million metric tonnes of paddy and ensured payments to farmers within 24 hours, he said.
The Chief Minister added that aqua farmers were being supplied electricity at Rs 1.50 per unit.
Local public representatives and farmers participated in the programme.
TNT KM
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