AP CM YS Jagan Congratulates Officials on RBKs' Nomination For FAO Champion Award

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a comprehensive review on the agriculture sector and congratulated the officials as RBK’s got nominated for FAO Champion Award.

During the review meeting, the Chief Minister announced to disburse Rythu Bharosa on May 16 and credit crop insurance compensation to the farmers by June 15. Under the farm mechanization scheme, farm equipment will be made available to the farmers at 4014 Community Hiring Centers, including 3,000 tractors and 402 harvesters in the first week of June. Similarly, Matsyakara Bharosa will be disbursed on May 11.

In regard to e-cropping, the Chief Minister directed the officials to focus on e-cropping at the village level, by conducting social audits regularly and ensuring all the welfare schemes are being given to the farmer fraternity. He instructed the authorities to continuously monitor the performance of CMAPP and also check the function of kiosks in RBKs. For tenant farmers, the Chief Minister stressed creating awareness of CCRC by providing full information on the rights of the farmers and he asked them to go to every house if necessary. Later, he directed officials to focus on natural farming and encourage it through RBKS by setting up a Community Hieing Centre at every RBK. 

The Chief Minister directed the officials to work on starting a six-month internship for university students at the RBKs, as their suggestions and observation would help in improving RBK services. He stated that a pilot project to install power meters for agricultural connections in Srikakulam was successful, which saved about 30 percent of electricity, and would also save  33.75 million units as connections increase. He said that a transparent system was formed with the installation of meters where farmers are getting quality electricity, and accountability among staff has also increased. The officials said that meters will soon be installed across the state for agricultural connections by creating awareness among the farmers.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to give priority to small and marginal farmers in providing farm equipment on subsidy and said to prepare a plan in this regard and added that farm equipment should be given on subsidy under every RBK.

The officials explained to the Chief Minister the guidelines recently formulated by the Central Government on the operation and use of Kisan drones. The Chief Minister said Drone Community Hiring Centers should be set up with educated farmers under each RBK and training should be given to them along with certification of the course. He said awareness should be created among farmers through videos on usage of fertilizers and pesticides through drones. He said drones will play a vital role in the future in the usage of nano pesticides and nano fertilizers and said they would reduce chemical over-usage which is good for the environment.  

The Chief Minister instructed the officials to encourage millet cultivation and focus on their MSP and processing and prepare an action plan in this regard. He said there should be an end-to-end solution and value should be added to millet products and added that their consumption should be increased as part of food. He directed the officials to prepare a plan on alternative cropping methods in areas with water scarcity. 

Meanwhile, the officials informed that crop cultivation was done in an area of 90.77 lakh acres in Kharif 2021, 54.54 lakh acres in Rabi 2021-22 and produced food crops of 165.07 lakh metric tonnes in 2020-21 and 171.7 lakh metric tonnes in 2021-22, registering an increase of four percent. The authorities said that for the third consecutive year crop cultivation is being done in favourable conditions and is likely to cross one lakh hectares, which is 477 percent more than the previous year. They said that all the preparations have been made for Kharif 2022, with all the required quantities of seeds and fertilizers at the district level. The Chief Minister asked the officials to hold meetings with Agriculture Advisory Boards and chart out the schedules.

Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, AP Agri Mission Vice Chairman MVS Nagi Reddy, Chief Secretary Dr Sameer Sharma, Agriculture Special Chief Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, Marketing and Cooperative Principal Secretary Y Madhusudan Reddy, Agriculture Commissioner C Hari Kiran, Horticulture Commissioner S S Sreedhar and other officials were present.

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