YSR Agri Labs to be set up by next Kharif

Amaravati: The establishment of about 165 District and Constituency integrated Agriculture Labs (YSR Labs) for testing the quality of seed, pesticides, fertilizers, soil health and others will be completed by the coming Kharif, across the state.

Government will establish primary labs at Assembly Constituency level. Here they will conduct laboratory tests for all basic parameters to ensure quality production from Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry. And then the District labs to be established at all the 13 districts headquarters. Here, in depth testing will be conducted with the help of most advanced machinery. At the district labs tests on microbiology, genetical and others also will be conducted.

A controlling lab will be set up at the state level. Which will have more higher and most advanced machinery for testing the quality, pests and others. At the same time, this state laboratory will also act as a monitoring and controlling unit for all the labs to be established for agriculture sector in the state, informed MVS Nagi Reddy, Vice President, State Agriculture Mission, while speaking to The Hans India.

These labs will be established by integrating the departments including Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry. Farmers can apply for testing at their village Secretariats. Government will provide the results at their doorstep, informed Nagi Reddy.

In fact, the chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has committed to establish the agriculture labs at all the 175 Assembly Constituencies. Since, there are more than 30 Assembly Constituencies fall in the urban areas, the state government has decided to establish them at the rural areas alone. Establishing the testing labs in urban areas would not serve the purpose, as there would be no agriculture practice.

Meanwhile, the government is asking all the seed developing companies, pesticides and fertilizer manufacturing companies to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government. Nagi Reddy informed that unless these companies would enter into MoUs with the state government, they would not be allowed to do business here. The state government has taken this decision to prevent selling spurious seeds, sub quality pesticides, fertilizers and other inputs, he explained. After entering into the MoU, the companies must maintain the quality that they have assured and the same will be tested at the newly establishing laboratories.

He also informed that the laboratories will also useful for veterinary requirements.