Minister for Mines and Geology Kollu Ravindra and Collector Vijaya Krishnan on Monday interact with farmers on the platform ‘Raithanna Mee Kosam’ to create awareness among farmers about state government schemes at Venkupalem village in rural mandal. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Minister for Mines and Geology Kollu Ravindra said that the state government was prioritizing the development of agriculture.
Participating in ‘Raithanna Mee Kosam’, a program to create awareness about the State Government’s farmer protection initiatives, at Venkupalem village in Anakapalli rural mandal on Monday, Mr. Ravindra said the State Government had introduced the ‘Annadata Sukhibhava’ financial assistance scheme for 46.83 lakh farmers in three installments. In Anakapalli district alone, ₹ 132 crore was deposited in farmers’ bank accounts.
The minister warned farmers against excessive use of fertilizers to increase yield. He said, “It is not only harmful but also leads to soil degradation,” adding that farmers in Punjab are suffering due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers. He said the state government was promoting natural farming in a big way to increase productivity and asked the farmers to adopt such practices.
Mr. Ravindra shared that the erstwhile Godavari districts were once synonymous with agriculture, but now the drought-prone Anantapur district is competing with these districts in growing horticultural crops. He asked the farmers to take advantage of the incentives provided by the state government to promote drip and sprinkler irrigation. Mr. Ravindra said the state government was working hard to complete the Polavaram project by 2027, which would also facilitate adequate supply of irrigation water in Anakapalli district.
Collector Vijaya Krishnan said that the main objective of ‘Raithanna Mee Kosam’ is to educate farmers about modern farming practices through agriculture staff and other departments at farmers’ doorsteps.
The Collector also emphasized that farmers will be informed about the five agricultural sutras (principles) – water security, demand-based cropping, agricultural technology, food processing and government assistance. He urged the farming community to take advantage of the scheme.
Published – 16 March 2026 21:37 IST
