Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has urged the Centre to establish a Central Agricultural University in the state, along with a Coconut Park, Aqua Lab, and Mango Board. During a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he emphasized the need for greater support from the central government to enhance agriculture and allied sectors and boost farmers’ incomes. Naidu highlighted the importance of setting up a Central Agricultural University in the state as mandated in Schedule 13 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
The Chief Minister elaborated on the measures and policies aimed at the development of the agricultural sector and the welfare of farmers in the state. He mentioned a growth rate of 10.70 percent in agriculture and allied sectors and the implementation of a five-point plan focusing on water security, demand-driven crops, agri-tech, food processing, and government assistance. Naidu also presented a memorandum seeking an additional ₹695 crore for expanding micro-irrigation under the PM RKVY-PDMC scheme.
Naidu further requested subsidies for banana transportation via railway wagons to minimize losses during transit and improve market access. He also advocated for the establishment of a coconut park to boost coconut-based industries with an estimated cost of ₹200 crore. Other demands in the memorandum included assistance for silkworm rearing sheds, priority for scientific research in natural farming, and funds release for various farming clusters under different schemes.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for the Central government to cover the maintenance costs of the sanctioned clusters and allocate additional clusters over the next five years due to the increasing adoption of natural farming by farmers in the state. He also urged the Centre to designate Andhra Pradesh as a national resource state for natural farming and proposed the establishment of state-of-the-art aqua labs in Vijayawada and Amaravati, along with funding for the development of Pulicat Lake.
