Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh

The State of Andhra Pradesh was formed on 1st November, 1956 by merging the nine districts of Telangana region of Hyderabad State, with those of Andhra State. Andhra state was itself formed on 1st October 1953 by partitioning the composite Madras State. Hence the origin and development of Agriculture Department in Andhra Pradesh relates to the origin and development of the Agriculture Department in Madras and Hyderabad States.


COMPOSITE MADRAS STATE


In the composite Madras State, a separate Agriculture Department was created in the year 1906 with a Director of Agriculture and necessary subordinate staff. Since then, there had been gradual expansion of the departmental activities like Agricultural Education, Research and Extension. In the war years i.e., 1939-44, the need for increasing agricultural production was keenly felt and countrywide Grow More Food Campaign was launched with the specific object of increasing production during post-war reconstruction. The Agriculture Department was strengthened at all levels to cope up with the enlarged activities and for the successful implementation of various grow more food schemes in the state.


The Department of Agriculture established the College of Agriculture at Bapatla during 1945.


HYDERABAD STATE

The Agriculture Department in Hyderabad State was established in the year 1911. Since then, the Department maintained steady progress and expansion. Between 1911 and 1952 a number of research stations were established for tackling different agronomic problems. At the same time, an engineering branch was also established and strengthened gradually for the improvement of agricultural implements, to assist the public in installing pumpsets, drilling deep bores, training oil engine drivers, etc. With the commencement of Grow More Food Campaign all over the country during the war years, a number of new developmental schemes were implemented and as a result, the Department had got expanded to a considerable extent by providing staff for Research and Extension. Osmania University had established first Agriculture College, in Hyderabad Sate in its campus during 1946.


ORGANISATIONAL CHANGES


(i) After the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, the Department was made responsible for Research, Education, Extension, Agricultural Engineering, Marketing and Publicity.


(ii) During February 1962, the Marketing Wing of the Department of Agriculture was separated and a separate Department of Marketing was created.


(iii) Consequent on the formation of Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University during 1965-1966 the Research and Education Wing. i.e., Agricultural Research Stations and Agricultural Colleges of the Department were transferred to the university.


(iv) In the same year 1966, publicity wing of the Department was also separated and merged with the Information and Public Relations Department.


(v) Consequent on the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Agro-Industries Corporation Limited, the departmental rigs and rock blasting units were transferred to the Corporation with effect from 2nd January,1969. The drilling staff were also deputed to the Corporation. Subsequently the agricultural engineering machinery viz., bull-dozers, tractors, etc., were transferred to the Corporation with effect from Ist June 1969.


The staff working in the above wings were given option to continue in the Department or to get transferred to the newly created agencies.


(vi) Even after the transfer of the Agricultural Colleges- Bapatla and Rajendranagar to the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Training Schools were retained with the Agricultural Department. The Department arranges training in specialised items like Soil Conservation, Plant Protection, Water Use Management, implementation of schemes and enforcement of various Acts etc., for the different cadres of technical staff. For this purpose, there are two Soil Conservation Training Centers one at Hyderabad and the other at Ananthapur and one Plant Protection Training Centre now redesignated as state level training institute by name Agricultural Staff Training Institute at Hyderabad. Besides there are two Vocational Agricultural Schools at Suryapet ( Nalgonda district ) and Yemmiganur ( Kurnool district ) in the state. These schools train the sons of farmers in different aspects of improved agricultural practices. There are three inservice training centres at Samalkot, Nandyal and Malthumeda to train inservice Agril. Extn. Officers . There were seven farmers training centres at Rajendranagar, Gopannapalem, Kalahasti, Nandyal, Suryapet, Bapatla and Karimnagar for imparting training to farm men and women on package of practices and on all farm operations including livestock, diary, poultry, fisheries etc. Subsequently, the Farmers Training Centres have been established in all the twenty two districts.


(vii) The Agricultural Extension work in the Department of Agriculture has been getting reorganised time and again based on requirements at a point of time. In 1960s, it was broadly based on Crop Development Schemes designed by Government of India . At that time , based on these schemes, territorial jurisdiction was fixed for various categories of staff i.e, Field Assistants/Sub-Assistants, Agricultural Officers, Assistant Directors of Agriculture etc.


(viii) Subsequently, as per M.T.Raju Committee report, the District post of District Agricultural Officer, of the cadre of Asst. Director of Agriculture was upgraded to that of Dy. Director of Agriculture and he was made to act as P.A. to Collector (Agri.) .


(ix) The A.P.S.S.D.C.Ltd., was established in the year,1976. The functions of high quality seed production and supply was transferred to A.P.S.S.D.C. since then.


(x) To ensure supply of high quality seeds with prescribed genetic purity, close inspections are required and statutory certification is essential for this purpose. A.P. State Seed Certification Agency was registered under the provisions public societies (Telangana Area) Registration Act 1350 Fasli during Phase.I of National Seed Project and the Agency commenced its operations from 1.6.1977. Accordingly , the functions of Seed Certification were transferred to Seed Certification Agency from 1.6.1977.


(xi) With the creation of Directorate of Sugars in the year 1976, Sugarcane Wing has got separated from Department of Agriculture.


(xii) Separate Horticulture Department was created, by bifurcating schemes meant for development of Horticulture crops from Department of Agriculture in the year 1982.


(xiii) During 1976, the Extension Wing was again reorganised into two wings i.e, Extension and Inputs. The Extension wing used to look after activities like preparation of plans right from Farm Level, Village Level to District Level. The input wing used to assess the input requirements and handle Departmental godowns etc. During this period , certain states had implemented T&V(Training and visit) system with the assistance of World Bank in the command areas. In Andhra Pradesh, the following command areas were covered under T&V system.


i. N.S.P. Right Canal Area

ii. N.S.P. Left Canal Area.

iii. Sri Ram Sagar Project.

iv. T.G.P. H.L.C.


Based on the experience gained and the success of the T&V Extension system ( Benor System) in the command areas in various states and also in Andhra Pradesh it was decided to extend the same to all the districts of the state. Consequently, the T&V programme came into being and was implemented with World Bank Assistance from 1982 - 1989 . Subsequently the staff under this T & V scheme were converted to non-plan and it is still being followed with certain modifications.


The system emphasises professional approach and finalization of technical messages to the farmers based on the consensus arrived at after deliberations among Scientists, Extension Staff and Farmers. It also believes in passing of the messages through well structured system.


The State trading schemes involving procurement and sale of inputs like seeds, fertilisers and pesticides were detached from the Department since 1982, as detailed in the earlier paras.


Subsequently during 1993, for better span of control and enforcement of quality control orders, the key supervisory cadre (ie., ADA) were reorganised by creating geographical agricultural sub divisions comprising 2 - 8 Mandals and by redeployment of subject matter specialists as Asst. Directors of Agriculture in the newly created offices to operate independently in the limited jurisdiction . Earlier to this reorganisation, the territorial jurisdiction of A.D.A. was synonymous with the Revenue Division. Now 254 A. D.A.(R) offices are functioning in the State.