The Hindu Business Line : Model farmers to guide others in AP

Hyderabad March 12 With more and more organised players entering the retail industry looking aggressively for quality agriculture produce for both domestic sales and exports, the Andhra Pradesh Government has initiated a unique move letting the progressive farmers (adarsha rythu or model farmers) guide their peers in improving the farm methods.

The model farmers, who will act as farm facilitators, will educate other farmers in advanced crop planning, reducing cost of cultivation and increasing yields.

"There is a huge opportunity in the market place for the farmers. But they need to improve farming methods to suit the expectations," Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy, Minister for Agriculture and Civil Supplies, told Business Line.

The need for expert advice is all the more important keeping in mind the fact that about 10 lakh more hectares are brought under irrigation in the last two years. The gross area irrigated has gone up to 59.96 lakh hectares in 2005-06 as against 49.87 lakh hectares in 2004-05.

The Andhra Pradesh Government did realise the absence of sufficient extension mechanism that could help out the farmers in this regard. In order to address this lacuna, the Agriculture Ministry has decided to handpick 50,000 `Adarsha rythus' (model farmers) across in all districts barring Hyderabad.

Each model farmer would cover at least 200 farm holdings. In the first phase, 25,000 model farmers would be appointed by the month-end. To become a facilitator, the candidates should pass tenth class and should be below the age of 40 years. Each of them would get an honorarium of Rs 1,000 a month.

These farmers would get training at FTCs (Farmer Training Centres) in the areas like post-harvest technologies, market analysis, WTO (World Trade Organisations) and micro irrigation.

The Government would involve agricultural universities and krishi vignan kendras in the capacity building exercise.

More Stories on : Cultivation | Andhra Pradesh

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