Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday initiated an intensive, week-long statewide outreach programme aimed at driving awareness on the state’s new five-pillar agriculture framework, highlighting his administration’s push to make farming more profitable and technologically driven.During a teleconference that connected more than 10,000 participants, including officials from agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, aquaculture, sericulture, and staff from Rythu Seva Kendras, Naidu unveiled the field-level action plan scheduled to begin on November 24. Public representatives and officials will visit every farmer’s home between November 24 and 29, followed by workshops at Farmer Service Centres on December 3.
The programme, branded “Rythanna -Mikosam”, will focus on disseminating the government’s five principles: water security, demand-driven cropping, agritech adoption, food processing expansion, and targeted government support.
“We have been working for 17 months to reposition agriculture and uplift farmers,” Naidu said, noting that Rs 14,000 crore has already been deposited in two instalments to 46.5 lakh farmers under Annadata Sukhibhava and PM-Kisan, amounting to Rs 6,310 crore.
Naidu emphasised that the future of agriculture lies in scientific, technology-enabled practices. He highlighted the state’s push for drip irrigation, the “Polam Pilustundi” programme, natural farming, and enhanced certification and traceability for organic products. He directed officials to explain the comparative benefits of natural and organic methods, the reduced health risks from low pesticide usage, and the rising global demand for chemical-free produce.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need for officials to gather village-level data on crop patterns and farmer needs, while ensuring farmers understand government initiatives in water management, soil testing, food processing, and market linkage. “Only scientific agriculture can be truly affordable for farmers,” Naidu said. “We have demonstrated that complete water management can fill reservoirs. Now we must translate this into higher incomes through better crop choices and modern post-harvest practices,” he added.
He said that fertilizers in Growmore centres are priced lower than in private retail outlets, adding that reducing input costs remains a core government objective.
