Madanapalle, Oct 2 (IANS) Rayalaseema will be transformed from a land of drought into a land of prosperity through the Global Horticulture Hub to be developed with an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced on Friday.
He, along with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, laid the foundation stone for the Global Horticulture Hub and the Indian School of Agriculture at Madanapalle in Annamayya district.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh also addressed the event.
Global Horticulture Hub project will be implemented in three phases with an estimated investment of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Of this, the Centre will contribute Rs 40,352 crore, while efforts will be made to mobilise Rs 60,000 crore in investments from the private sector.
According to officials, the project will cover Anantapur, Annamayya, Chittoor, Kurnool, Nandyal, Sri Sathya Sai, Tirupati, Kadapa, Prakasam and Markapuram districts.
Development works will be undertaken through 201 clusters spread across 303 mandals and 5,869 villages in these 10 districts.
The government plans to expand the existing horticulture cultivation area of 8.41 lakh hectares by another 6 lakh hectares, taking the total to 14.41 lakh hectares.
The project aims to increase horticultural production from the current 222 lakh tonnes to 435 lakh tonnes, directly benefiting 9.6 lakh farmers.
As part of the initiative, an additional ayacut of 9 lakh acres will be created, while irrigation facilities in 4.3 lakh acres will be stabilised.
Addressing the public meeting, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the government was delivering on its promise to transform the fortunes of Rayalaseema farmers by turning the drought-prone region into a land of prosperity.
Stating that Rayalaseema farmers can now grow everything from apples and strawberries to bananas, avocados, kiwis and dates, he expressed confidence that, with the Global Horticulture Hub, Rayalaseema would emerge as a global “fruit bowl”.
The Chief Minister thanked the Centre for funding the Global Horticulture Hub, specifically acknowledging the support provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
He also praised Nirmala Sitharaman for providing funds whenever the state requests them.
The Chief Minister noted that the foundation stone had also been laid for the Indian School of Agriculture (ISA).
He said that just as IIMs produce management experts, IITs produce technical experts, and ISB hones the skills of entrepreneurs, the ISA would groom leaders in the field of agriculture.
The ISA, being established in Madanapalle, will be pivotal for the horticulture sector, he added.
CM Naidu pointed out that Anantapur is the second-driest district in the country and had previously faced desert-like conditions.
He said the government came to the aid of Rayalaseema by completing irrigation projects initiated by former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao to remove the region’s hardships.
“We introduced technologies like drip irrigation to alleviate the region’s water-related struggles,” he said.
Naidu added that the government had implemented action plans to boost groundwater levels through water-conservation measures.
Chandrababu Naidu said he was happy to be recognised as the “Water Man”.
“Throughout my five-decade political career, I have been called the ‘Hi-tech CM’ and ‘CEO CM’; now, I am recognised as the ‘Water Man’. This brings me great happiness,” he said.
–IANS
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