30L hectares of wasteland to be under cultivation in 5 yrs

The Agriculture Department, in coordination with the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), plans to bring 30 lakh hectares of wasteland under cultivation across Andhra Pradesh within the next five years. Budithi Rajasekhar, Special Principal Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, announced that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed the expansion of natural agriculture methods to all villages in the state. Additionally, 10,000 acres in each parliamentary constituency are to be converted to natural agriculture.
A two-day workshop on natural farming began on Friday at the Panchayati Raj, Rural Development Department Commissioner’s office in Tadepalli, chaired by Agriculture Director S. Dilli Rao. District Agriculture Officers and APCNF District Project Managers from across the state attended the workshop. Rajasekhar highlighted the economic challenges faced by farmers due to chemical usage and emphasized the need to utilise 30 lakh hectares of fallow land for cultivation over the next five years.
Rajasekhar also noted that global interest in natural agriculture is rising and underscored its importance in addressing extreme climate changes. He urged stakeholders to understand the science behind natural agriculture, which he described as the most viable solution for sustainable farming.
T. Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice Chairman of Rythu Sadhikara Sanstha, stressed that natural agriculture not only enhances farmers’ income and well-being but also contributes to public health and environmental protection. He highlighted the potential for farmers to achieve up to five times the income through natural farming and encouraged them to adopt these practices.
B. Rama Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Rythu Sadhikara Sanstha, reported that delegations from 45 countries have visited the state to study its natural agriculture programmes. He also announced that community resource persons from Andhra Pradesh will soon travel to four countries to establish natural agriculture practices there.