AP State to promote natural farming in a big way

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh is likely to get investment of Rs 10,000 crore from international agencies for Prakruti Sedyam (natural farming) in the State. Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said that the State government was encouraging natural farming.

Answering a question during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Tuesday, he said the State government has set a target to provide training for 5 lakh farmers and the training would be given at five training centres in the State.

He said that the government had set up four agencies to give certification for the products of natural farming and control fake products. As many as 25,000 farmers were given training in natural farming, he said and added that the State stood at the top position in the country in natural farming.

The State government was taking suggestions from Subhash Palekar for encouraging natural farming across the State, he said. MLA Ramanaidu said that the public was showing interest to consume organic products. But fake products were being sold with the same name, he said.

The MLA asked the government to introduce certification system for organic products like Karnataka State which has already introduced issuing certificates to organic products.

MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao said that he was cultivating vegetables and other food products under natural farming. He said that his crops did not face any threat of disease though entire chilli fields around his agriculture farm were damaged due to virus. He asked the government to extend subsidies for encouraging natural farming.