Wah Saffron! World’s costliest spice to bring cheers to Andhra farmers
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a frontrunner in natural farming, with 1.8 million farmers already practising it across two million acres
By - Newsmeter Network
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Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government will permit large-scale saffron cultivation in Lambasingi under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, ensuring active participation of local tribal communities, said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The Chief Minister announced it while chairing a review meeting on agriculture and allied sectors at the Secretariat, outlining an ambitious roadmap to transform Andhra Pradesh into the country’s largest natural farming hub.
AP’s natural farming push
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a frontrunner in natural farming, with 1.8 million farmers already practising it across two million acres. He stressed the need to further reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers and promote eco-friendly farming practices statewide.
Certification and Traceability by April
Emphasising quality assurance, the Chief Minister directed officials to put in place certification and traceability systems for natural farming products by April. This, he said, would help build consumer confidence and improve market access both domestically and internationally.
He also suggested that agriculture students should gain hands-on experience by practising natural farming themselves.
Training with Subhash Palekar
The Chief Minister announced that statewide training programmes on natural farming would be conducted in collaboration with Subhash Palekar. He underlined the importance of increasing the share of Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural produce in national and global markets.
Water Security in Rayalaseema
Recalling the chronic water scarcity faced by Rayalaseema in the past, Naidu said the situation has improved significantly this year due to efficient water management, with all major reservoirs filled and no shortage of irrigation water.
Export opportunities open up
Officials informed the Chief Minister that recent trade agreements with the US and the EU have created new opportunities to boost exports of shrimp, dry chillies, mangoes, rice, and processed food products from the State.
Naidu also stressed that maintaining high-quality standards would be critical to sustaining export growth.
Cocoa city and Intercropping
The Chief Minister directed officials to develop a “Cocoa City” over 500 acres in the Eluru district, integrating cultivation, processing, and marketing at international standards. He highlighted the scope for intercropping in mango, cocoa, cashew, and coconut plantations and asked officials to encourage farmers to adopt this model.
Banana exports, aquaculture, and poultry
Noting that Andhra Pradesh ranks second in banana production but lags in exports, Naidu called for focused efforts to improve overseas shipments.
The CM announced that registration of aquaculture activities would be made mandatory. To strengthen the poultry sector, he directed that egg supply contracts for government schools and anganwadi centres be awarded directly to farmers.
He also said State policies in agriculture and allied sectors should align with those of the Centre.
Crop festivals and logistics
Drawing inspiration from the Flower Festival organised in Kuppam, the Chief Minister suggested holding crop festivals in different regions to promote crop diversity and agri-tourism.
He said reducing logistics costs would help expand markets and proposed taking up the issue with the Centre, including the possibility of dedicated railway wagons for transporting agricultural produce.
Agri-Tech, processing units, and markets
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh has become a preferred destination for horticulture and aquaculture and stressed the use of crop and satellite data to estimate yields and plan marketing.
He noted that the use of fruit covers had improved mango quality and prices, and suggested extending the practice to guava and pomegranate orchards.
The CM directed officials to establish cluster-wise processing units under food clusters and to engage with companies that have signed MoUs for food processing industries to ensure early commissioning of units. A meeting with mango processing unit owners will be held soon to address their concerns.
Rythu Bazaars, flower market approved
The Chief Minister instructed that Rythu Bazaars be set up wherever market yards exist and that existing ones be modernised. He also approved the construction of a flower market in Vijayawada.
Launch of farmer-centric apps
During the meeting, Naidu launched the DG Rythu Bazaar app, enabling consumers to purchase vegetables online. He also launched the APAIMS app for farm machinery and the Kisan Drone app, through which farmers can book tractors, drones, grass cutters, power tillers, and balers. A total of 9,512 machines have been made available across the State.
The Chief Minister directed officials to create awareness among farmers to enable direct crop registration and ensure the timely resolution of their queries. Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu and senior officials were present at the review meeting.
