AP Govt to present awards to farmers, agri officials

Hyderabad, Jan 11 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy would present the 'best farmer' awards and best agriculture officer awards to those who have worked to increase the agricultural production in the state.

Addressing a press conference here today, Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy said the government had selected 27 best farmers at the state-level and 450 farmers from district-level for the awards.

He said the government had also selected 24 best agricultural officers from the state-level and 127 officers from the district for the awards.

The Chief Minister would present the awards on January 15 to the state-level award winners in Hyderabad and the District Ministers concerned would present the awards to the farmers and officers in their respective districts.

The award for the best farmers at the state-level would carry a cash purse of Rs 10,000 and a memento, while the best farmer at the district-level would get a cash of Rs 5,000. However, there was no cash award for the best agricultural officers both at the state and district-level except citation, he added.

The primary aim of announcing the awards was to encourage the farmers and agricultural officers to increase the agricultural production and saving energy.

Pointing out that Andhra Pradesh, which occupied the sixth place in agricultural production till last year was now in the third position with regard to high yield, he said the state had achieved 106 lakh tonnes of agricultural produce during the khariff season.

The government was monitoring the supply and prices of fertilisers to the farmers and taking steps to curb black marketing, he said and added that licences of 89 dealers, who indulged in hoarding and black marketing of fertilisers were suspended.

Stating that the Central government had agreed to renovate the Ramagundem Fertilizers factory at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore, he said the State Government would take necessary steps to provide sufficient quantity of fertilisers to the farmers during the rabi season.

UNI BR VA ROY SW AS2045