Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu and Telangana Finance Minister Eatala Rajender on Friday said only an unstinted focus and multi-pronged long-term strategy would usher in improvements in the farm sector and help bring down suicides by farmers.
Mr. Naidu said that in the first year, the priority of the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to revive the economy, followed by improving infrastructure, followed by a focus on the agriculture sector. A high-level team comprising Ministers, officials, bankers and scientists was already on the job, especially working out a crop income insurance scheme and issuing soil health cards.
He was speaking after giving away the I.V. Subba Rao Lifetime Achievement Award to former Agriculture Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao and Special Recognition Award to former Chief General Manager of NABARD-Andhra Pradesh P. Mohanaiah and 43 awards to progressive farmers, farm scientists, extension officers, journalists and media houses. Those present included Deputy Speaker of the AP Assembly Mandali Buddha Prasad, Yarlaggadda Lakshmiprasad, Chairman, Kisan Khet Maazdoor Congress, M. Kodanda Reddy, Special Chief Secretary-AP, T. Vijayakumar.
