Promote use of drones by RBKs for soil testing: CM YS Jagan

Vijayawada: Stressing on the need to use drones extensively in agriculture sector, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to ensure that drones are also used for soil testing by RBKs.

Reviewing the activities of Agricultural Department here on Friday, the Chief Minister told them that extensive use of drones in soil testing by RBKs will also help implement ‘Plant Doctor’ concept successfully besides arriving at correct estimates of productivity and maintaining related data.

When the officials told him that drones were being used in arriving at estimates of paddy productivity, he suggested that they should be used for other crops also. “Now we are using drones for spraying pesticides but they should be used for multi purposes so that it would be more helpful to the farmers,” the Chief Minister said, adding that steps should be taken to equip all 10,000 RBKs with drones.

They said that 222 farmers were trained on the use of drones under the pilot project and the department was purchasing quality drones certified by the DGCA and all safety measures were being taken while launching and using them.

The Chief Minister suggested that more audio-visual programmes should be made on the cultivating methods and they should be telecast through the RBK channel for the benefit of farmers.

Officials explained that efforts were being made to prepare the draft Bill on MSP Act-2023 for ensuring MSP for all agricultural produce and bring all aqua and dairy farmers under the Act.

Officials further said that during the last four years, 4.34 lakh acres has been additionally brought under the horticultural cultivation. The Chief Minister suggested that different types of horticultural crops used in food processing should be encouraged.

“There should be more cold-storage rooms, godowns and collection centres for encouraging the horticultural farmers,” he said, adding that procurement of all other crops should be through RBKs, in addition to paddy. RBKs should play key role in marketing as well.

Steps also should be taken to establish onion and tomato food processing units at places where there is more cultivation of such crops.

To help women achieve self-sufficiency, they should be encouraged to establish secondary food processing units by providing them loans under the YSR Cheyuta scheme, he said.

Officials told him that 6,000 micro units were being established to help women with the help of Cheyuta scheme. The Chief Minister said as the government was establishing drying and primary processing units and distributing agricultural utensils and machinery for farmers, all these should be linked to the RBKs for ensuring MSP, handholding them at every step and completely eliminating the role of middlemen.

The officials said about 2.2 lakh samples have been collected by agri labs so far and the farmers were being guided based on the results.

When officials told the Chief Minister that efforts were being made to pay crop insurance for the rabi crop in October and distribute CCRC cards for tenant farmers in Jagananna Suraksha camps, he told them to take steps to pay Rythu Bharosa to the tenant farmers.

The officials informed that a compensation of Rs 7,802.50 crore has been paid to 54.48 lakh famers under the YSR Free Crop Insurance scheme so far.

Agriculture Minister K Govardhan Reddy, Agri Mission vice-chairman MVS Nagi Reddy, Advisor to government (Agriculture) I Tirupal Reddy, Chief Secretary Dr KS Jawahar Reddy, Special Chief Secretary Gopalakrishna Dwivedi (Agriculture), Principal Secretary (Marketing and Cooperation) Chiranjeevi Choudary, Agriculture Special Commissioner C Harikiran, Horticultural Commissioner SS Sridhar, MARKFED MD Rahul Pandey, APSSDCS VC & MD Dr G Sekhar Babu, Finance Secretary KVV Satyanarayana, APDDCF MD Ahmad Babu and other senior officials were present.