Andhra Farm Export Zone Policy Soon
The Andhra Pradesh government will soon announce an agri-export zones (AEZs) policy with special incentives for corporates to encourage contract farming. This will be in addition to the policy guidelines and incentives being prepared by the central government for AEZs. This was stated by Andhra Pradesh sugar and horticulture minister P Narayana Swamy at a seminar on technology and market access improvement for horticultural products.
The seminar was organised by Gitam Institute of Foreign Trade (GIFT).
The minister said contract farming had been in practice on a small scale in association with an Israeli company, and two AEZs had been set up for mangoes and grapes. More AEZs were being planned for other horticulture products, he added.
Andhra Pradesh occupies fifth slot in horticulture production with an estimated output of 10 million tonnes per year. There are 98 processing industries and 119 cold storages.
He said subsidies were being channelised to promote hybrid seeds for better productivity.
The state had exported 800 tonnes of grapes and 2,000 tonnes of mangoes last year. AEZs and corporate participation would boost exports, which were being given 30-50 per cent subsidies at present, he said.