‘Raithanna Mee Kosam’ held in Anakapalli

Mines and Geology Minister Kollu Ravindra said that the State government is giving priority to the development of the agriculture sector.

Participating in the `Raithanna Mee Kosam,’ a programme that creates awareness about the State government’s farmer-welfare initiatives, at Venkupalem village of Anakapalli rural mandal on Monday, Mr. Ravindra said the State government has implemented `Annadata Sukhibhava’ financial assistance scheme to 46.83 lakh farmers through three instalments. In Anakapalli district alone, ₹132 crore has been deposited into farmers’ bank accounts.

The Minister cautioned farmers against excessive use of fertilisers to increase yield. He said: “It is not only harmful but also lead to soil degradation,” and added that farmers in Punjab were suffering due to the excess use of chemical-based fertilisers. He said the State government is promoting natural farming in a big way to increase productivity and asked farmers to adopt such practices.

Mr. Ravindra shared that the erstwhile Godavari districts once synonymous for agriculture, but now even the drought prone Anantapur district is competing with these districts in the cultivation of horticulture crops. He asked farmers to make use of the incentives provided by the State government to promote drip and sprinkler irrigation. Mr Ravindra said the State government is working hard towards completing the Polavaram project by 2027 which would facilitate adequate irrigation water supply to Anakapalli district also.

Collector Vijaya Krishnan said the main objective of `Raithanna Mee Kosam’ is to educate farmers about modern agricultural practices through staff from the agriculture and other departments at the doorsteps of farmers’.

The Collector also emphasised that farmers’ would be made aware of the five agriculture sutras (principals)— water security, demand-based crop cultivation, agri-technology, food processing and government assistance. He urged the farming community to make use of the programme.