Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday asked agriculture scientists to develop better post-harvest handling technologies to reduce wastage, and promised full support to Andhra Pradesh to emerge as world’s leading horticulture hub.
He was addressing the second day of the three-day AP AgTech Summit being organised here by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and Dalberg, a strategy ad policy advisory body.
Describing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as a visionary for transforming Hyderabad as a prominent IT hub during his stint at the helm during the undivided Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Shekhawat said he had no doubt that Mr. Naidu, with focus on implementing various technologies in agriculture, would be responsible for making it highly profitable 25 years later.
He said that Andhra Pradesh ranked No. 1 in the country in production of seafood, mangoes, aquaculture, eggs, turmeric, chilli, and tomatoes. He said the Centre was keen to launch some pilot projects in the State going by its impressive track record in implementing several schemes. On the Prime Minister’s call for new India, Mr. Shekhawat said that Mr. Naidu was taking steps to redeem his dream to double the income of the farmers by 2022.
Exports
Stating that there was a need to increase exports, he said only 10% of agriculture produce was being sent abroad. India’s agriculture production was valued at ₹98,000 crore. “Due to non-availability of post-harvest management technologies, wastage is causing a huge loss,” he observed.
Mr. Shekhawat called upon the farmers to diversify from traditional paddy and wheat cultivation to other high-value crops by following an integrated approach.
Regretting that the average land holding of the farmers was just 0.8 hectare, to the exception of the most prosperous farming States such as Punjab and Haryana, he said it was imperative to introduce schemes to increase their income.
Focus on infra
In his address, Mr. Naidu said their focus was on improving pre and post harvest technologies, and develop infrastructure to ensure better price to farmers by building cold chains, godowns, road connectivity, and strengthening market linkages. He said, as the consumer preference was changing fast, they wanted the farmers to change their approach to market-driven cultivation for sustainability.
“As the lifespan is increasing, the farmers should foray into fruit-bearing crops and cash crops. Organic farming and a few small farmers forming into a group on the lines of cooperative farming to make optimum utilisation of manpower and machinery are the needs of the day,” he emphasised.
Ministers S. Chandramohan Reddy, Adinarayan Reddy, and Ganta Srinivasa Rao, MPs K. Haribabu, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, C.M. Ramesh, and Konakalla Narayana were present.
