Farmers must adopt crop-specific strategies to boost income: Siddharth Jain

 Puttaparthi: To enhance farmers’ income, Siddharth Jain Joint Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, and District Nodal Officer for the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), emphasized the need for crop-wise planning and market-oriented cultivation.

During his field visit to Marava Kothapalli village in Chilamathur mandal, Jain inspected maize and mulberry fields cultivated by local farmers.

He interacted with them about their practices, yields, and challenges. He advised farmers to identify gaps in cultivation methods and adopt corrective measures, while also promoting value-added products from each crop. Farmers requested government procurement of maize at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and supply of micronutrients at subsidized rates to improve productivity.

Later, Jain inspected mulberry cultivation at Prabhakar Reddy’s farm and suggested promoting tamarind cultivation on bunds and wastelands to generate additional income.

He also visited the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) at Pedapalli in Puttaparthi mandal, reviewing its functioning with directors and advising them to strengthen PACS in credit, fertilizer distribution, and farm mechanization for timely farmer support. Jain highlighted the importance of adopting drone technology for modernized agriculture. Earlier in the day, Jain chaired a coordination meeting at the Anantapur Collectorate, reviewing PMDDKY implementation under the supervision of District Collector A Shyam Prasad & Joint Collector Mourya Bharadwaj. Officials from Agriculture, Horticulture, Irrigation, NABARD, and DRDA departments participated in the session.