AP CM to address World Agricultural Forum

Hyderabad, May 4 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will address the World Agricultural Forum 2007 Congress at St Louis in the US on sunday.

State Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here today that the Chief Minister would deliver the keynote address on the theme 'Creating prosperity through investments in agriculture'.

''This is a great honour for the State farmers as a rare opportunity has been provided to Dr Reddy by the Forum at its Congress, which would be attended by heads of States and experts from 60 to 70 countries,'' he said.

Accepting a suggestion from National Commission on Farmers Chairman M S Swaminathan, the State Government had decided to select a progressive farmer out of every 250 farmers for improving farm productivity and creating awareness about government schemes among farmers. Intense training would be provided to over 25,000 selected farmers from May seven to 14 on latest farm practices and variousg government policies and programmes for the benefit of farmers, he added.

Referring to genetically-modified Bascillus Thurngensis cotton manufactured by multinational Monsanto and others, Mr Reddy said the companies would not be allowed to hike the cost of seeds of any new hybrid variety of cotton seeds from the present Rs 750 per packet.

Under the National Horticulture Mission, 100 per cent subsidy would be provided to small and marginal farmers to raise horticultural crops using drip and sprinkler irrigation system this year, he added.

The government targetted to promote horticultural crops in one lakh acres this year, the Minister said, adding that the Government, with suitable linkage with the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, would bear the entire cost of raising horticultural crops.

UNI