VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government has allocated ₹ 43,052.78 crore for agriculture and allied sectors in its 2022–23 budget presented in the State Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Major allocations include ₹ 12,285.70 crore for agriculture, ₹ 11,450.94 crore for uninterrupted supply of irrigation water for rabi crop 2021–22, ₹ 8,328.89 crore for MGNREGS, ₹ 5,000 crore for YSR Uchita Vyavasaya Vidyut Pathakam, ₹ 1,027.82 crore for animal husbandry, ₹ 614.23 crore for marketing, ₹ 554.04 crore for horticulture, ₹ 421.15 crore for Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, ₹ 337.23 crore for fisheries, ₹ 248.45 crore for cooperatives, ₹ 146.41 crore for food processing, ₹ 122.50 crore for Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, ₹ 98.99 crore for sericulture, ₹ 59.91 crore for Dr YSR Horticulture University, and ₹ 50 crore for bore wells under YSR Jala Kala.
The budget for agriculture and allied sectors had been ₹ 31,256.35 crore in 2021–22, revised to ₹ 27,993.93.
Presenting separately the agriculture and allied sectors budget in the assembly, agriculture minister Kurasala Kannababu said, “If the ruler thinks of giving priority for farmers’ welfare and there is also sufficient rainfall, farmers will reap a good harvest.”
He underlined that Rythu Bharosa Kendralu (RBKS) are drawing attention of entire nation, with appreciation from experts, scientists, political leaders of other states and even from NABARD and NIti Ayog. This is because RBKs are responding to demands of farmers from ploughing to harvest within 48 hours. These centres had distributed as many as 8.95 lakh quintals of subsidised seeds to 15.11 lakh farmers in 2021–22.
Kannababu pointed out that AP recorded the highest food grain production of 175 lakh metric tonnes in 2019–20 against 165 lakh MT in 2020–21 despite facing natural calamities. They are expecting the production to be 179 lakh MT in 2021–22. The new paddy procurement policy helped procure paddy worth ₹ 44,000 crore in 33 months, against ₹ 43,000 crore worth paddy acquired by previous TD government during its five-year rule.
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State government has announced minimum support price for six more crops including ₹ 7,000 per quintal for chillies, ₹ 6,850 for turmeric, ₹ 4,500 for groundnut, ₹ 2,500 for minor millets, ₹ 1,400 for sweet orange, ₹ 800 for banana, and ₹ 770 for onions.
Further, it declared that it will set up second food processing units in all parliamentary constituencies, so that farmers could realise maximum income for their produce through value addition.
When the agriculture minister said that their government is not interested in using rain guns to tackle drought and slammed the previous TD regime for issuing a GO on March 10, 2019 to waive off farm loans even as poll notification was issued the same evening, opposition Telugu Desam members raised a hue and cry.
Animal husbandry minister Seediri Appalaraju presented the same agriculture and allied sectors budget in the State Legislative Council.
