Collector Ch. Hari Kiran on Tuesday directed horticulture officials to leave no stone unturned in securing global recognition for the banana crop grown in Kadapa district.
Banana, one of the major crops in Kadapa, is grown in 20,000 hectares across the district.
At a Cluster Development Committee meeting here on Tueday, Mr. Hari Kiran wanted strengthening of the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) functioning under the aegis of the horticulture department. Three companies have already began taking up fruit care activities, eyeing 30,000 a tonne spread across 1,500 acres.
“Integrated packing houses have to be established and special training needs to be imparted to the FPOs to handle them,” Mr. Hari Kiran explained. He wanted an action plan prepared in a week encompassing the above issues.
Mr. Hari Kiran harped on a twin-pronged strategy to increase crop acreage as well as establishing food storage, processing and ripening units in the vicinity to reduce wastage and crop loss. Joint Collector (Revenue and RBK) M. Gauthami, Deputy Director (Horticulture) Vajra Sri, APMIP Project Director Madhusudhan Reddy and NABARD Assistant General Manager Srinivasulu took part.
