The Andhra Pradesh Government will spend Rs 2,000 crore on conservation and stabilisation of irrigation resources as it strives to make the State drought proof. It would use the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) funds for this purpose.

The Telugu Desam Government will also revive the Rytu Mithra self-help groups.

Releasing the White Paper on agriculture and allied subjects here on Tuesday Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said the Government invite international chains such as Pepsi as part of its efforts to add value to the agricultural produce.

Flaying the erstwhile Congress Governments at the Centre and in the State for the dismal state of affairs in agriculture, he said the governments had completely neglected the sector that had led to the increase in farm suicides in the last one decade. Extension services had been ignored.

“As a result, productivity and production of important crops such as paddy, maize and groundnut have come down vis-à-vis national averages,” he said.

The fourth White Paper released by the Chief Minister has said that water and agriculture is one of the seven missions the Government was going to take up. “The prices the farmers are getting are below the cost of production. We need to improve their incomes,” he said.

Agri GSDP

“The loan waiver programme is the first step we have taken for improving their lot. About 70 per cent of the population depends on agriculture but the sector contributes only 20 per cent to the Gross State Domestic Product. The remaining 30 per cent population is contributing 80 per cent to GSDP. This should change by making agriculture profitable,” the Chief Minister said.

The agriculture GSDP stood at Rs 45,000 crore in the State. It is followed by horticulture with Rs 30,000 crore, animal husbandry with Rs 33,600 crore and fisheries with Rs 17,300 crore.

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