Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a decisive move to transform the horticulture landscape of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set a clear target of at least Rs.1 lakh income per acre per year for farmers through expanded and modernized horticulture practices. Chairing a review meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Naidu directed officials to scale up cultivation, improve farmer support, and implement new technologies to ensure sustainable income generation across the state.

Except for the Krishna and Godavari deltas, where traditional agriculture dominates, the rest of the state will now see aggressive promotion of horticulture. CM Naidu emphasized that the government’s focus is on raising productivity and profitability, particularly through the cultivation of 11 priority crops including banana, mango, chilli, oil palm, cocoa, coconut, tomato, onion, cashew, dragon fruit, and coffee.

To facilitate this, the state will be divided into 24 horticulture clusters, with targeted assistance and infrastructure tailored to each crop. “Horticulture is the future of farm income,” Naidu told officials, adding that efforts must be made to double the current 18.23 lakh hectares of horticulture area within five years.

Highlighting the global demand for cocoa, the CM directed officials to bring at least one lakh acres under cocoa cultivation. Currently, India contributes less than 1% to the global cocoa output. Naidu said this offers an enormous opportunity for Andhra farmers. He urged the department to educate farmers on post-harvest practices and support the setup of small-scale cocoa processing units, which could significantly boost their income through value addition.

Stressing water conservation and efficiency, Naidu placed top priority on micro-irrigation systems, including drip and sprinkler setups. He instructed that SC, ST, and smallholder farmers be given special focus under state and central subsidy schemes. The CM also proposed automation of existing drip systems to reduce water and fertilizer wastage, calling for awareness programs to promote adoption.

During the meeting, officials briefed the CM on the success of fruit cover distribution. Under an initiative, fruit covers worth Rs.32 crore were distributed to farmers cultivating fruits across 10,000 hectares, leading to an impressive Rs120 crore in additional income. The program has helped protect crops and improve market value.