State will promote farm mechanisation, says Minister

Agriculture Minister Pulla Rao says the government will offer farm equipment at 50 per cent to farmers and harvesting machines on hire to a group of farmers. To weed out middlemen, he said that the government would sanction vans at 50 per cent subsidy to operate mobile rythu bazaars and Rs. 1 crore for construction of buildings in towns/cities and Rs. 7.50 lakhs for sheds in villages for marketing fish.

Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao said that the concept of ‘Polam Pilustondi’ was to create awareness among farmers on how to make farming profitable by adopting best farming methods, particularly farm mechanisation, and check migration from rural to urban areas. He said ‘Polam Pilustondi’ was one of the five programmes that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had initiated to put the State back on rails. The other programmes are: Badi Pilustondi, Neeru-Chettu, Arogyam and poverty alleviation.

Keeping the farm labour shortage in view, the government, as part of its efforts to promote farm mechanisation, would offer farm equipment at 50 per cent to farmers and harvesting machines on hire to group of farmers, he said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Agriculture revenue

Stating that horticulture, fisheries, livestock, and sericulture are profitable, Mr. Rao said ‘Polam Pilustondi’ would continue in future. He said the government’s concept was to shift farmers from traditional farming to other allied sectors and double the agriculture revenue from the present Rs. 33,000 crore and the revenue from fisheries to Rs. 66,000 crore from the present Rs. 17,000 crore. He fixed the target for horticulture crops at 80,000 hectares for the district.

He said that the government would write off Rs. 50,000 of the crop loan of each small and marginal farmer in the first phase that would begin in the first fortnight of the next month.

To weed out middlemen, he said that the government would sanction vans at 50 per cent subsidy to operate mobile rythu bazaars and Rs. 1 crore for construction of buildings in towns/cities and Rs. 7.50 lakhs for sheds in villages for marketing fish.

Mr. Rao sanctioned veterinary polyclinic and college for Cheepurupalli, seed processing unit at Salur, and agriculture research centre for the district.

Earlier, the Minister participated in ‘Polam Pilustondi’ at Pedavemali in Gantyada mandal. He interacted with farmers, inspected standing paddy crop, distributed Jersey cows and fodder seed at subsidy to farmers. He told them that nine-hour power would be supplied to irrigation motors from October 2. Rural Development Minister K. Mrunalini and MLAs were present.