The Andhra Pradesh Government wants to double the income of farmers in four years and enhance the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) from ₹31,961 crore to ₹60,000 crore by 2021-22.
To double the income of farmers, the Government has set for itself a target of increasing food productivity from 2,641 kg per hectare to 4,409 kg per hectare using various strategies.
A mission-based approach is going to be pursued in agricultural extension programmes to achieve the goal of double-digit inclusive growth.
Mission mode
The Socio Economic Survey (2016-17) tabled in the Assembly recently lists several strategies for achieving the target. Several of these strategies have also found place in the Agriculture Budget presented by Minister for Agriculture Prathipati Pullarao earlier this week.
The survey said that the government was working in a mission mode to attain sustainable agricultural productivity by competing with the best-performing states in reducing cost of production and increasing net returns of farmers.
The government plans to accelerate crop diversification by involving the small and marginal farmers and empowering the farmer with advance agricultural practices like promotion of ‘intercropping’ and ‘local-specific crop sequencing’.
The promotion of poly cropping in rainfed areas to ensure sustainable income to farmers in the event of drought, which was a common phenomenon in Rayalaseema districts, is yet another strategy.
Pre-kharif sowing
Promoting pre-kharif sowings with pulses in NSP and Krishna Delta ayacut has already been launched.
Mr. Pullarao said the pre-kharif sowing of pulses in 1.42 lakh acres in Guntur and Prakasam districts have yielded good results.
Plans have been made to sow pulses in another 3 lakh acres in the next kharif, he said.
Mr. Pullarao said that increasing cropping intensity in five lakh acres through seasonal discipline in the Godavari delta—where farmers had the option of sowing three crops of paddy-paddy-pulse—was another strategy to boost the yield and income.
Farm mechanisation was another major intervention being planned. Fifty per cent to 70% subsidies would be given for farm equipment as an incentive.
More emphasis was also being laid on Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) to provide access of high cost machinery to the tenant and small and marginal farmers.
Mr. Pullarao announced that 200 CHCs would be established in the 13 districts in collaboration with primary manufacturers on public-private partnership basis.
The Minister told the Legislative Assembly that a record ₹286 crore had been spent under farm mechanisation in 2016-17.
More strategies
The other strategies to boost income to farmers that were mentioned in the Socio Economic Survey and also found a prominent place in the recent Agricultural Budget are: promotion of self-reliance in seed production among farmers; use of fertilisers on the basis of soil tests; training and awareness through Polam Pilusthondi; promoting of organic farming to meet the demand of world market; calamity management; drought mitigation through Rain Guns; and utilising the Internet of Things for the benefit of farmers.
