CM pushes action plan to build Rayalaseema horticulture hub

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday asked officials to draw up an action plan to develop Rayalaseema, Prakasam and Markapuram as a global horticulture hub. He said the State must align production with global market demand.

During a review with Ministers and senior officials, he discussed plans to develop 10 districts as horticulture hubs. He set a target of producing 500 million metric tonnes of horticultural crops from the identified regions. He also said the State should focus more on export-driven growth.

Meanwhile, Mr. Naidu told officials to fast track irrigation projects in Rayalaseema, Prakasam and Markapuram. He asked them to treat these works as top priority. In particular, he said the Veligonda Project must be completed this year. He also called for plans to rebuild the Annamayya Project.

Further, the Chief Minister stressed the need to secure water for drought-prone areas. He urged officials to bring Krishna river water to Kadapa through the Galeru–Nagari Project.

At the same time, he shifted focus to North Andhra. He said completion of the Polavaram Left Canal would allow the State to divert Godavari waters to the region. This, in turn, would support the proposed Polavaram–Vamsadhara river interlinking project. Therefore, he asked officials to prepare priority project plans for North Andhra as well.

Highlighting Rayalaseema’s strength, Mr. Naidu said the region already plays a key role in horticulture production. He now wants Rayalaseema, along with Prakasam and Markapuram, to emerge as one of the world’s largest horticulture clusters. In this context, he said DP World, Dubai, has shown interest in setting up a horticulture cluster in Andhra Pradesh.

Finally, the Chief Minister asked officials to attract more private investment into the sector. He said the government should also use support from Purvodaya. Additionally, he called for strong logistics planning. This includes food processing units, port connectivity, warehouses, cold storage facilities and other related infrastructure to boost production and exports.