The State Government entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) for strengthening capacities of the Government of Andhra Pradesh to support farmers to adopt sustainable agri food systems.
The MOU was signed by Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Poonam Malakondaiah, FAO Country Director Tomio Shichiri and Indian ICAR Deputy Director General A.K. Singh, in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said RBKs were set up as part of an effort to weed out fake seeds, pesticides and fertilizers from markets. Measures were taken to ensure remunerative prices to farmers. He explained about e- cropping. Revolutionary changes would come about in the agriculture sector with the steps being taken by the government, he said.
Later, addressing a press conference here, Mr. Tomio Shichiri said that the FAO would provide technical and financial assistance to the RBKs, and along with the ICAR, work towards strengthening them. The FAO would provide training to farmers, RBK staff, officials and scientists on new technologies and best cultivation practices.
The total budget for the TCP in Andhra Pradesh was $2,67,000. The project would start this month, and was expected to be completed by November 2023, he said.
The RBKs were role models and would bring revolutionary changes in agriculture. Integrated agri labs would stand out as good organisations in providing the best inputs to farmers, he said.
Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kanna Babu, FAO Representative Dr. C. Konda Reddy, senior food safety and nutrition officer Sridhar Dharmapuri, national expert on agri. certification Nachiket Udupa, national expert on FFS Sudhakar Yarrakonda, Agriculture Commissioner C.H. Arun Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner Sridhar, Fisheries Commissioner Kanna Babu, AP Seeds Development Corporation VC and MD Shekar Babu and others spoke.
