Food Processing Can Add Value To Farm Produce, Boost Exports: CM Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh is focusing on food processing and value addition to increase farmers’ incomes and take the state’s agricultural and horticultural products to international markets, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said. He stressed that processing farm produce into branded products would create greater economic value and new opportunities for wealth creation.

Naidu made the remarks at Musunuru near Nuzvid in Eluru district, where he joined Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Governor S. Abdul Nazeer in unveiling Garme’s Popcornica non-GMO hybrid maize seeds. He also visited the country’s largest non-GMO expandable popcorn processing unit.

Praising Garme for producing non-GMO seeds domestically in collaboration with farmers, Naidu said around 17,500 farmers are cultivating the hybrid maize across 40,000 acres. He said the company accounts for nearly 70% of India’s popcorn production, with an integrated system covering seed development, mechanisation, technology-driven cultivation, procurement and processing.

Naidu said India had earlier depended on imported popcorn and called for strengthening domestic production to meet demand and eventually expand exports. He said products such as Andhra Popcorn, Araku Coffee and coastal cocoa should be developed into globally recognised brands. Steps would also be taken to promote Andhra Popcorn and Araku Coffee through sales counters at railway stations. Traditional products such as Kondapalli toys should similarly reach global markets.

Naidu said only around 10% of the state’s agricultural produce is currently processed, leaving significant scope for value addition. He urged entrepreneurs and youth to focus on food processing and promote processed products such as turmeric, chilli, maize and aquaculture produce in international markets.

The Chief Minister said Rayalaseema was being developed as a horticulture hub, with public and private investment plans of around ₹1 lakh crore. He said 36 irrigation projects worth ₹35,000 crore would be completed on priority.

Despite El Niño conditions, Godavari water was diverted to the Krishna Delta to protect crops, he said. Naidu added that completion of the Chintalapudi project would transform the region, while the Veligonda project would be inaugurated by the end of August to supply water to Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.

He also stressed river-linking projects such as Godavari-Krishna and Tungabhadra-Penna-Cauvery, saying better water utilisation would strengthen long-term water security. Ministers Nara Lokesh, K. Atchannaidu and Kolusu Parthasarathy attended the programme.