Need to increase horticulture crops stressed

Guntur: District Collector Kona Sasidhar has said that the government is giving top priority for horticulture crops to garner more income for farmers. Addressing a meeting held at the Collectorate here on Wednesday, with the Micro Irrigation Project officials, he directed the officials to explain how farmers would get more income if they cultivate horticulture crops instead of paddy. He also asked them to motivate farmers to raise horticulture crops and explain subsidies to be given to horticulture farmers under various schemes.

He said, “If the farmers use micro irrigation schemes, they may raise more horticulture crops with less water. The district is in the eighth place in the horticulture crops.” He directed the officials to register their crops and added that at present, farmers were raising horticulture crops in 10,000 hectares, out of which crops to the extent of 5600 hectares are registered so far. He instructed them to improve performance of Micro Irrigation and Horticulture departments.

Micro Irrigation project officer Surya Prakasa Rao, project district director Padmavati, assistant director, horticulture department P Ram Mohan were among those who participated.