Rayalaseema To Be Developed As Global Fruit Bowl: CM Chandrababu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to transform drought-prone Rayalaseema into a world-class horticulture hub and develop it as a “Global Fruit Bowl” for exporting fruits and horticultural produce to international markets.

Reviewing the proposed horticulture development plan, Naidu stressed the need for an integrated ecosystem connecting farmers with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), food processing industries and marketing networks. He said the objective should be to strengthen the entire value chain, from production to processing and exports.

The government will launch the Integrated Horticulture Hub programme at Madanapalle in Annamayya district on October 2. Naidu is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Indian School of Agriculture on the same day. The initiative is aimed at creating a dedicated ecosystem to give the State's horticultural produce greater access to global markets.

The proposed Rayalaseema Integrated Horticulture Hub, along with the erstwhile Prakasam district, will cover 10 districts and 201 clusters. Development works worth around ₹1 lakh crore have been proposed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Officials said the plan envisages ₹40,000 crore from the government and ₹60,000 crore from the private sector.

Naidu said Rayalaseema had traditionally faced severe drought and water shortages, but irrigation and water conservation projects were improving agricultural prospects. Micro-irrigation, Handri-Neeva and Galeru-Nagari projects, farm ponds and check dams have helped strengthen water availability. He noted that water had been taken through the Handri-Neeva canal for nearly 660 km up to Kuppam.

Naidu said industrial projects, including Kia and defence-sector investments, had contributed to economic activity in Rayalaseema. He called for horticulture to become another major engine of regional growth.

Officials were asked to integrate crops, FPOs, food processing and marketing systems across all 201 clusters. FPOs should be strengthened at the cluster, constituency, district and State levels, while farmers should be encouraged to collectively market their produce, on the lines of DWCRA groups.

Naidu also directed officials to prepare an alternative crop plan to mitigate El Niño risks, considering production, consumption and market opportunities.

The State will consult the Centre on the cultivation and procurement of chickpea, black gram, green gram, red gram, ragi, maize, sorghum and onion, besides discussing MSP.

He also called for AI-based analysis to identify region-specific crops that offer greater benefits to farmers and consumers and urged officials to take advance measures to prevent price spikes.