Andhra Pradesh to come out with special budget on agriculture

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh government has decided to introduce a special budget for agriculture from this year with a view to giving fresh push to the sector.

Finance Minister A Ramanarayana Reddy and Agriculture Minister K Lakshminarayana held a meeting here today on the agriculture budget with officials of Finance, Agriculture and Planning departments.

Observing that the Congress government has been laying emphasis on agriculture for the last nine years, Reddy said the special budget would focus on growth and welfare of the farm sector and those dependent on it.

The budget would cover allocations for nine departments, the Finance Minister said.

Noting that government intends to take the views of various stakeholders on board in preparing the budget, the Agriculture Minister said he would hold a meeting with the leaders of various farmer associations on March 11.

The special exercise is aimed at promoting the welfare of the farming community in the state, Lakshminarayana said.

Andhra Pradesh is predominantly an agrarian state with rice, pulses, cereals, cotton, chillies, vegetables, fishing, aquaculture being the primary crops cultivated in the state.