C Pradeep kumar
Vijayawada
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government has made the welfare of farmers a top priority in Andhra Pradesh. Under the leadership of CM Jagan, several initiatives have been introduced to support farmers and improve their livelihoods.
One of the key initiatives is the YSR Rythu Bharosa programme, which has been instrumental in providing financial aid to poor farmers. So far, four tranches of Rs 13,500 each have been released, benefiting 52 lakh farmers with a total aid of Rs. 30,985 crores. Additionally, the YSR Sunna Vaddi Panta Runalu program has provided investment support to farmers by transferring interest subsidies for crop loans, benefiting 17 lakh farmers with Rs. 1,834 crore.
In a demonstration of the government’s commitment, 3.1 crore Metric Tonnes of paddy were procured from farmers at an expenditure of Rs. 58,773 crores, benefiting 32.7 lakh farmers in the state.
The inclusive governance model of the YSRCP has ensured that tenant farmers in the state also become rightful beneficiaries of all government schemes and programs. The government has extended assistance to rain-affected farmers by compensating losses, procuring soaked paddy, and transferring crops to government storage units. As a result, agriculture in Andhra Pradesh has witnessed unprecedented growth and success.
During the previous TDP rule, the agriculture sector reported a negative growth of -6.5%. However, under CM Jagan’s leadership, the sector has experienced a remarkable growth rate of 8.2% in 2021-22.
To boost agricultural exports and food processing, the government has developed Commodity-based Food Parks in Krishna, Guntur, Nellore, and Chittoor, with a capacity of 15 MT food grains and 18 MT fruits. This has resulted in a 5.95% increase in Agri & Food Processing exports in FY 2021-22.
The Jagan government has also ensured Minimum Support Price (MSP) for tobacco produced in auctions. AP MARKFED’s participation in the bidding process has guaranteed MSP ranging from Rs 85 per kg to Rs 140 per kg, depending on the quality of the crop.
MVS Nagi Reddy, Vice Chairman of the AP State Agriculture Mission, affirmed that the State government is dedicated to supporting farmers in all aspects to ensure their happiness and well-being. He emphasised the importance of timely rainfall and highlighted the significant improvements in groundwater levels over the past four years. Reddy also highlighted the government’s efforts in providing fertilizer, quality seeds, input subsidies, 9 hours of daytime power supply, financial assistance, and interest-free loans up to Rs 1 lakh.
