AP Assy to bring out act against supply of inferior quality sapling

Tirupati, Aug 2 (UNI) Taking a step forward to protect farmers from inferior saplings supplied by some of the nurseries, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy today said an Act will soon be brought out in the next State Assembly session to tackle the crisis.

After inaugurating a two-day workshop on 'sweet orange' organised jointly by Krushi Viyana Kendram (KVK) and Acharya N G Ranga research centre here, the Minister said the non-availability of quality saplings for sweet orange, pomegranate and other fruits was the cause of worry for the farmers, who are losing revenue and the orange cultivation day-by-day.

As orange saplings are required in large quantities to meet the growing demand in the state, the private nurseries are taking the opportunity to sell saplings of interior quality, the Minister said.

''In a bid to overcome the problem, the government is planning to bring out an act on the lines of agricultural seeds in the next assembly sessions to control selling of inferior saplings in the state,'' he added.

There is a need to adopt modern mechanism in horticulture, he said, adding the National Horticulture Mission (NHM), which provides an outlay of Rs 231 crore to Andhra Pradesh under horticulture development in the current financial year, should provide 100 per cent subsidy on the machinery to farmers besides implementing drip irrigation system in the horticulture sector.

The State government has allocated Rs 500 crore in the current financial year for development of modern mechanism in the agriculture, he said adding a workshop will provide a common platform for the farmers, scientists and officials to discuss various issues related to horticulture.

The resolutions, which will be passed in the two-day workshop will be considered by the government after discussion with the concerned officials immediately, he assured.

Seventy per cent of the total orange production in the country is produced by Andhra Pradesh alone and Sweet orange is grown in a large scale in Anantapur, Kadapa, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Prakasam districts, he added.

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