The Andhra Pradesh Government has agreed to increase direct procurement component to 50 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2011-12 as against 24 lt in the last procurement season. It also agreed to set up additional godown space to store 50 lt.

After considering recommendations given by the Mohan Kanda committee that was set up to study the crop holiday problem in some parts of the State, the Government has also agreed to bring agricultural operations under the purview of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme works.

The committee asked the Government to speed up work on adding 25 lt of storage capacity in the Konaseema area.

Thousands of farmers in the region had declared crop holiday protesting against poor income from paddy and absence of sufficient storage facilities.

Diversification favoured

The committee, which toured the crop holiday areas and other parts of the State, had submitted its report to the Government last week. After considering the proposals, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister, favoured the recommendation that wanted the Government to encourage farmers to diversify. He directed officials of different Departments to device methods in this regard.

“Several farmers have favoured diversification. The Government could consider fisheries, dairy farming and oil palm cultivation as an alternative to paddy,” the committee pointed out.

While agreeing to this suggestion, Mr Reddy said he had written to the Union Government asking it to encourage oil palm farming in the State. “We will ask for establishment of Regional Offices of Coir Board and Oil Palm Development Boards in the two Godavari districts,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ryhtu Sangham, affiliated to Communist Party of India (Marxist), said the committee recommendations were vague and failed to attempt to solve the immediate problems. “Tenant farmers and agriculture labourers are the worst sufferers there. But the committee has got nothing to address their problems,” Mr Rama Rao, General Secretary of Rythu Sangham, told Business Line .

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