Hyderabad, September 14 INN: Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew on Friday launched a new mobile tele-network for the Spices farmers in the State.
Speaking on the occasion at Jubilee Hall, the Chief Secretary said that the spices have a great demand across the globe and the farmers could improve the quality of their produce by utlising the new network. She said that the new initiative would help the farmers in sharing information related to development, marketing and exports of spices.
According to Spices Board of India Deputy Director (Publicity) Dr PS Sreekantan Thampi, the AP Spice farmer tele network would in a phse cover 10,000 spice farmers in teh State mainly in the districts of Warangal, Khammam, Guntur, Prakasam, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Kurnool. Andhra Pradesh contributes to the giant chunk of chillies and turmeric exported out of India. Wide varieties of chilies are cultivated in an area of 2.09 lakh hectares in the State contributing production to the extent of 6.3 lakh tonnes.
The average productivity is 3013 kg per hectare. Turmeric cultivation is in an area of 0.71 lakh hectares contributing production of 4.43 lakh tonnes. The State has reported cultivation of ginger in an area of 0.86 lakh hectares producing 3.07 lakh tonnes of ginger. There are vast expanse of lands under tamarind cultivation also.
Thampi said that through the new initiative spice farmers of Andhra Pradesh would get free Green SIM cards by way of which they would receive first hand information on market fluctuation in price, weather forecast, tips on Good Agricultural Practices, new schemes of the Board and latest technological aids in spice cultivation. Dr Khalid Ahmed, retired professor of the LAM Institute, Guntur, will handle the queries of the farmers on all aspects of crop care for spices in the tele-network on a daily basis. This will help in bridging extension gap to a considerable extent, he said.
- INN
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