Govt to take policy decision on providing subsidy

Rajahmundry, June 23 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy today said that the government would take a policy decision about providing subsidy on organic and bio-fertilisers utilisation, within a week.

Addressing newspersons Mr Reddy said Union Government was giving subsidy of Rs 3,800 crore on chemical fertilisers to Andhra Pradesh.

This would encourage usage of chemical pesticides from 5,000 metric tonnes to 1,600 metric tonnes by the farmers in the state.

Mr Reddy said groundnut crop during last khariff and rabi did not yield the expected harvest.

The Minister said procurement orders were placed to an extent of six lakh tonnes, particularly groundnut and soyabean seeds, and were distributed to farmers. There was no shortage of seeds in the state.

However, Mr Reddy said 3.45 lakh quintals of groundnut seeds were distributed to farmers this year. Seeds were imported from other states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh and made available to farmers, he added.

Mr Reddy said subsidy on modernisation of implements were also being extended to farmers.

Mr Reddy claimed that during the erstwhile TDP regime, only two lakh quintals of seeds were given, where as Congress government already disbursed 4.5 lakh quintals of groundnut seeds.

He said bt cotton seeds were made available to farmers at reduced rate.

Stating that the government wanted to encourage agriculture and industry in the state simultaneously, he requested to avoid allocation of fertile land to SEZs.

UNI