Agri and allied sectors to drive AP's development

Atchannaidu presents agri budget with ₹48,341 cr outlay; govt to promote 11 crops which will serve as growth engines

- S GURU SRIKANTH @Vijayawada

Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Friday presented the Agriculture Budget for the financial year 2025-26 with an outlay of ₹48,341 crore. This is an increase from the previous year's outlay of ₹43,402.33 crore for FY 2024-25 and ₹41,149.87 crore for FY 2023-24.

The most notable announcement in the agriculture budget for FY 2025-26 is the 'Annadatha Sukhibhava—PM Kisan' scheme, one of the Super Six promises. Under the scheme, ₹20,000 per annum will be provided to farmers owning land, with ₹6,000 from the Union government. For landless farmers, the State government will cover the entire ₹20,000. A budget of ₹9,400 crore has been proposed for this scheme.

During the Kharif 2024 season, free insurance was implemented using e-Panta data. Starting from Rabi 2024-25, the voluntary enrollment system was reinstated, allowing farmers to join the crop insurance scheme for a minimal premium. The proposed budget for this scheme for FY 2025-26 is ₹1,023 crore.