The State government will facilitate formation of farmer producer organisations (FPO) to help farmers get remunerative price for their produce, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said.
He was addressing peasants here on Wednesday after distributing debt relief certificates to mark the release of the second instalment of Rs. 3,500 crore under the debt waiver scheme, benefiting 36.39 lakh farmers in the State.
The Chief Minister said that the government would encourage the FPOs to adopt best agronomic practices to get the best price for their produce by collaborating with overseas firms.
Responding to the peasants’ pleas to help them wriggle out of the unfavourable market conditions, which pushed them into a debt trap, the Chief Minister explained at length the efforts of the government to make farming profitable.
While hailing the government’s bold initiative to implement the loan waiver scheme, farmer after farmer, during a brief interaction, said that it was the unpredictable market conditions that put paid to their hopes of getting decent returns.
Smart technology
The Chief Minister exhorted the farmers to compulsorily enrol themselves under the improvised Prime Minister’s Fasal Bima Yojana, which assured early settlement of claims using smart technology in case of crop loss.
Multi-cropping and farm-related activities like cattle rearing, poultry management, and pisciculture would alone ensure better returns, he said. ‘E-crop,’ under which every piece of land was being geo-tagged, would enable scientific management of land and crop, he said, adding that henceforth farmers need not take the risk of visiting their fields at odd times to switch on their pump-sets as all conventional pump-sets would soon be replaced with energy-efficient smart agriculture pump-sets, which could be operated remotely.
Sea port
Amid loud cheers, he said that the longstanding demand for Ramayapatnam sea port would materialise soon.
Other facilities that would also come up soon are National Investment and Manufacturing Zone, University of Mines and Mineral Sciences, and Indian Institute of Information Technology. Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao, Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao, and Social Welfare Minister R. Kishore Babu were among those who spoke.
Waiver for Krishna district
Machilipatnam Staff Reporter writes: The government released Rs. 232 crore for Krishna district to waive crop loan in the second phase. District Joint Director of Agriculture U. Narasimha Rao said that crop loan of the eligible 2.96 lakh farmers would be waived. These farmers are required to submit documents to get their loan waived between June 22 and 30.
