Centre, Andhra Pradesh Govt Launch Rs 1 Lakh Crore Global Horticulture Hub in Rayalaseema

Amaravati, Oct 3 (KNN) The Centre and Andhra Pradesh government on Friday laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1 lakh-crore Global Horticulture Hub (GHH) at Madanapalle in Annamayya district, with Reliance Industries announcing plans to establish an Indian School of Agriculture (ISA) as part of the project.

The GHH, backed by Rs 40,000 crore in central assistance and Rs 60,000 crore in private investment, aims to strengthen horticulture across eight districts of the drought-prone Rayalaseema region and raise its gross value added (GVA), TOI reported.

The foundation stones for both initiatives were laid by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani.

The project envisages expanding horticulture cultivation by an additional six lakh acres through an integrated framework covering production, processing, marketing and exports. It is expected to benefit 5,860 villages across 201 clusters.

Horticulture Area To Expand To 14.4 Lakh Hectares

Addressing the gathering, Naidu said the initiative would empower farmers across the value chain, from seed to shipment, while supporting sustainable incomes and diversification into crops such as apples, strawberries, dates and avocados.

The state aims to increase its horticulture cultivation area from 8.4 lakh hectares to 14.4 lakh hectares and raise annual output from 222 lakh metric tonnes to 435 lakh metric tonnes. The initiative is expected to benefit around 9.6 lakh farmers across 10 districts.

Naidu said the government would focus on stabilising crop production and prices, while developing food processing, agri-tech, logistics and agricultural infrastructure as part of an integrated ecosystem.

He also reiterated the state's request to the Centre to take forward the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project to address water scarcity in southern states.

Reliance To Set Up Indian School Of Agriculture

Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani announced the establishment of the Indian School of Agriculture under the project. Modelled on the Indian School of Business, the proposed institution will focus on advanced technologies and artificial intelligence in agriculture and horticulture.

Centre Highlights Farmer Support Measures

Sitharaman said the Centre and state were working together to develop Andhra Pradesh into a major horticulture hub. She highlighted support through Kisan Credit Cards for crop-related investments and the PM-KISAN scheme.

She also referred to measures to ensure the availability and affordability of urea, crop insurance support and the promotion of climate-resilient crop varieties.

The Finance Minister highlighted solar-powered agricultural pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme as part of efforts to help farmers respond to changing weather conditions.

(KNN Bureau)