Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday emphasized the need for rapid expansion of food processing facilities in Andhra Pradesh and directed officials to give priority to setting up these units in all MSME parks being developed in the 175 assembly constituencies.
Mr. Naidu, who chaired the review meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that value addition to agricultural production is the most effective way to ensure maximum income to farmers.
He also emphasized the importance of demand-driven agriculture and promoted the promotion of commercial crops, catch crops and natural farming techniques. He insisted that agro-technical tools such as farm mechanization, drones and satellite technology must be widely adopted to increase efficiency and reduce input costs.
Emphasizing the importance of value addition, Mr. Naidu said attention should be given to FPOs, food processing units, product refining and scientific packaging. He directed officials to ensure that farmers are fully informed about minimum support prices, PM-KISAN benefits, input subsidies, Rythu bazaars and market linkages.
Mr. Naidu also called for nationwide promotion of the newly developed Farmer App of the Agriculture Department, which provides real-time information on soil records, crop data, weather patterns, pest alerts, market prices, soil testing and market information. He noted that timely information could significantly improve farmers’ decision-making.
He praised the assistants in agriculture, horticulture, sericulture and aquaculture, saying they play a key role in delivering government programs to every farmer.
Helping farmers
In response to falling banana prices in Anantapur, Kadapa and Nandyal districts, where 40,000 hectares are cultivated, Mr. Naidu directed officials to ensure price support and strengthen market linkages. Increased production in other states and rain-induced damage to export-quality produce affected prices, officials explained. The Chief Minister recommended exploring waterways, rail and air cargo to improve market access.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the procurement process of the Cotton Corporation of India, he noted that farmers were facing difficulties despite booking slots in the CCI application. He directed officials to take up the issue with the Center and ensure that cotton farmers do not suffer losses.
The Chief Minister announced that he would actively participate in the ‘Raitanna – Meekosam’ awareness program scheduled between November 24-29 and again on December 3 and invited public representatives and officials to participate and interact directly with the farmers.
Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu joined the proceedings online while senior officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture and Marketing Departments were present.
Published – 21 Nov 2025 20:39 IST
