The Hindu Business Line : Don’t ignore model farmers, AP tells agri officials

Hyderabad, July 10 The Andhra Pradesh Government has asserted that the system of model farmers (aadarsha rythus) would continue irrespective of which political party is in power.

Addressing a video-conference with District Collectors and senior Agriculture Department officials here on Friday, the State Agriculture Minister, Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy, pulled up a section of officers who ignored the model farmers.

“We came to know that some officials wondered whether this system would be in vogue if a non-Congress parts won the elections,” sources said, quoting the Minister.

The Congress Government appointed about 50,000 model farmers across the State, basically to be in touch with the farmers and sort out various issues related to the farming in the particular areas. “You can tell us if they found any or some those model farmers not working properly. You can’t ignore the system,” he cautioned.

The Government, which had decided to give a big credit push to tenant farmers, had asked officials to reach out to at least 10 lakh tenant farmers and give loans this year. “We are targeting to cover 20 lakh farmers. But you should ensure that you cover at least half of it,” Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Agriculture, told officials in a video conference.

Discussing with them about the preparedness for the kharif season, he asked the district collectors and agricultural officers to talk to bankers and ensure that each bank gave at least 350 new loans.

Campaign

The Agriculture Department had published one crore pamphlets, explaining to the farmers about the initiatives on tenant farmers, village-as-a-unit insurance scheme and other issues. Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, would participate in a State-level bankers’ conference on Monday to discuss the overall credit plan for the State.

The meeting would spell out the exact credit outlay for the agriculture and allied sectors in the State.

More Stories on : Agricultural Policy | Andhra Pradesh

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