Mission to popularise organic farming in Guntur

The department of horticulture, Guntur district, has embarked on a mission to popularise organic farming and public sector model nurseries.

Called the National Horticulture Mission, it is a holistic programme that would be taken up in 4,500 hectares with a subsidy component of Rs 7 crore to benefit 3,500 farmers. The mission is already being implemented in 12 districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Under organic farming, Rs 15.50 lakh (Rs 10,000 per hectare) has been released for growing sweet oranges in 155 hectares and Rs 17.50 lakh (Rs 10,000 per hectare) for cultivating turmeric in 175 hectares. The department has paid Rs 39 lakh to farmers for setting up 130 units to produce vermi-compost to be used in cultivating sweet orange and cashew gardens.

K Balaji Naik, assistant director of horticulture department, Guntur district, in an interview to Business Standard, said, "The mission, comprising 18 schemes, envisages every help to farmers during pre and post-harvest operations, including supply of inputs and facilities for marketing of their produce."

The department has advanced Rs 84.38 lakh (Rs 1,100 per hectare) as subsidy to farmers under general area expansion of sapota and sweet orange fruit crops. Under annual crops, Rs 45 lakh (Rs 7,500 per hectare) has been disbursed for growing papaya and banana in 600 hectares. Under plantation crops, Rs 30.94 lakh (Rs 5,625 per hectares) has been released to farmers for cultivation of cashewnut in 550 hectares.

He said, "Marigold and jasmine have been selected under flowers category and Rs 14.40 lakh (Rs 12,000 per hectare) subsidy has been given for growing them in 120 hectares. Under spices' category, Rs 123.75 lakh (Rs 11,250 per hectare) has been released for raising turmeric in 1,100 hectares. Under the scheme to restore old orchards, Rs 75 lakh has been released (Rs 15,000 per hectare) to ryots having 500 hectare of sweet orange gardens."

"Under protected cultivation," Balaji Naik said, "Rs 2 lakh has been given to farmers for growing greenhouse, ornamental and other indoor crops. Under the integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated nutrition management, Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1,000 per hectare) has been released for citrus orchards in 1,000 hectares, and Rs 12 lakh (Rs 1,200 per hectare) for turmeric in 1,200 hectares."

Beside, Rs 3.12 lakh had been released for constructing five packing houses (Rs 62,400 per house); Rs 50 lakh subsidy for a Rs 2-crore cold storage plant; Rs 25 lakh for setting up a market intelligence organisation, and Rs 6.43 lakh for constructing 9 market yards (Rs 71,444 per yard).

He said 150 hand sprayers (Rs 1.20 lakh), 639 Taiwan power sprayers (Rs 39.9 lakh) and 6,000 polysheets (Rs 26.6 lakh ) had also been distributed to farmers. The three-year mission would also impart training to farmers and create awareness among them on market facilities and intelligence and farm research.