Kakani tables 41,436 cr agri budget, hails RBKs

Amaravati: The state government is aiming to make Andhra Pradesh the food bowl of the country by creating the required infrastructure for farmers, agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy said after presenting the agriculture budget with a total outlay of 41,436.29 crore in the assembly on Thursday. He said Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) have been receiving accolades at different international and national forums.Farmers are always on top of the government’s agenda as chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy believes that a state can prosper only when its farmers prosper, the minister said, adding that 6,940 crore was disbursed to farmers through Rythu Bharosa in the last four years. “AP is the only state in the country to provide free crop insurance to farmers. Our initiatives such as RBKs and crop insurance scheme have been lauded by the Niti Aayog. AP has become a model state in the country as RBKs have virtually revolutionised agriculture services,” Kakani said. He further said 1.54 lakh crore was spent on agriculture sector alone in last four years, out of which 27,062 crore went towards Rythu Bharosa and PM Kisan scheme. “AP surpassed all previous records, including national growth rate, in last two years. The state witnessed a growth rate of 13.07% in agriculture and allied sectors, when national average was just around 10% in 2021-22,” he said, adding trend continued even in 2022-23 as they achieved growth rate of 13.18% against national average of 11.2%.