Farmers urged to cultivate millets

Guntur: Guntur district collector A Thameem Ansariya emphasised that efficient water management can significantly increase crop yields. In line with changing food habits, farmers should adapt their cultivation practices, she said. She said the demand for millets such as Ragi, jowar, bajra and Korra has increased, and millet farming needs to grow further and urged farmers to take up natural farming on a large scale.

The “Guntur Raithanna – Mee Kosam” programme was launched in the district on Monday. She participated in a programme held at Chinna Palakaluru of Guntur mandal and interacted directly with the farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, she said agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors are driving the State’s economic growth. The target is to achieve an average annual growth rate of 15% in agriculture and allied sectors, he added.

She said the state government is promoting Agri-Tech and informed that the government has reinstated 100% subsidy for borewell drilling for SC and ST farmers.

She further said that two instalments of financial assistance for farmers were released under Annadata Sukhibhava – PM Kisan scheme. Under Annadata Sukhibhava, the State government provides Rs 14,000 and under PM-Kisan the Central government provides Rs 6,000, together offering Rs 20,000 per year as investment support to land-owning farmer families and forest cultivator families.