VIJAYAWADA: Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Monday presented the Agriculture Budget for the financial year 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 43,402.33 crore. This is comparatively more than the previous budget outlay of Rs 41,149.87 crore.
Commencing his speech by quoting renowned agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan -- If rural areas are to be bright and if the farmer families are to be happy, Agriculture needs a specific plan -- Atchannaidu said the government has given top priority to the agriculture sector to realise Swarnandhra @2047 vision, and chalked out an action plan to make farmer financially stable and self-sustainable.
“The government has initiated steps to enact the AP New Tenancy Act 2024, provide drones to farmers’ groups and individual farm implements to farmers, seeds on subsidy and to bring fallow lands into cultivation, besides implementing Annadata Suhibhava - PM Kisan, PMFBY and Vaddi Leni Runalu schemes,” he said.
Using ultra-spectroscopy, data of once analysed soil samples is stored in a Spectral Library, and this analysed data is tracked in real-time with satellite imagery for the subsequent years. A budget of Rs 38.88 crore has been proposed for the implementation of the Soil Health Cards Scheme. Considering the importance of quality seeds and fertilisers, an allocation of Rs 240 crore has been made for the distribution of subsidy farm inputs, and Rs 40 crore for the maintenance of fertiliser rehouses. A sum of Rs 422.96 crore has been allocated for the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), he explained.
Emphasis is being laid on digital agriculture, under which programmes like e-Panta, AGRISNET portal, D-Krish App, PMA App, Crp LIfe System - Pest and Disease Surveillance Reporting Mechanism App, Agri-Advisory Portal, INSIGHT App, AgriStack Initiative with an allocation of Rs 44.77 crore. Similarly, Rs 187.68 crore has been earmarked for farm mechanisation, including Rs 35 crore for Kisan Drone Technology.
Besides Rs 8,564.37crore budget allocation for the agricultural sector, Rs 3,46.47 crore has been proposed for horticulture, Rs 108.44 crore for sericulture, Rs 314.80 crore for agriculture marketing department, Rs 308.26 crore for cooperation department, Rs 102.22 crore for YSR Horticulture University and Rs 507.03 crore for ANGRAU.