Action plan to give a boost to horticulture farmers

Anantapur: To give a big boost to horticulture farmers for marketing their produce, the department of horticulture under the guidance of Collector Kona Sasidhar is now preparing action plans to support horticulture farmers by establishing cold storages, integrated pack houses, pre-cooling units, ripening chambers, cashew processing centres and low cost onion storage structures as part of master plan to upgrade horticulture cultivation and set up processing centres.

The action plan will be implemented in the current financial year. Horticulture is growing in leaps and bounds in the district since 2015-16 and registered a steep rise in new horticulture plantations and expansion of acreage owing to the favourable conditions for the expansion of horticulture plantations.

Under the 'Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture' (MIDH) and the 'Rastriya Krishi Vikasa Yojana' (RKVY) and the State Horticulture Plan (SHP) all put together the target for 2015-16 fiscal was 3,52,195 hectares, but in terms of actual achievement it was 3,33,908 hectares.

Similarly, in terms of financial targets it was Rs 60.94 crore, but the targets achieved were Rs 39.31 crore with the targeted beneficiaries being 16,054 in the same year.

Under the MIDH scheme more than 1.11 lakh hectares were expanded and investments to the tune of Rs 29.54 crore were targeted. The achievements included 1.74 lakh hectares expansion and benefitting 16,054 farmers.

Under the RKVY scheme, the targets were expansion of plantations in 31,799 hectares involving an investment of Rs 69.7 crore, while the actual achievement was 26,624 hectares and Rs 2.6 crore investment benefiting 1,926 farmers. Under the State plan, the achievement area was expanded by nearly 1.34 lakh hectares involving an investment of Rs 16.46 crore benefiting 7,556 farmers. The plantations include mango, sweet oranges, acid lime, guava, pomegranate, bananas, papaya, cashew and hybrid vegetables production programme.

Speaking to The Hans India, horticulture technical officer G Chandrasekhar revealed that 75 per cent subsidy on mango, guava, sweet oranges, acid limes and pomegranate are being extended under the new area expansion.

Under the hybrid vegetable production, 40 per cent subsidy per hectare is being extended. Financial assistance for the maintenance of orchards for three years is also being extended. Community farm ponds and individual farm ponds and poly houses and shade net nurseries under protected cultivation is also extended by the department.