Horticulture Andhra Pradesh - Action Plan - (2007-2008)
STATE PROFILE
 
The state has an area of 274.40 lakh ha, forming 8.37 percent of total geographical area of the country. Out of the total geographical area, 39.5 percent was the net area sown.
Andhra Pradesh is endowed with many major rivers, the most important being the Godavari, Krishna, Vamshadhara and Pennar. Apart from these, there are 37 tributaries and other minor rivers flowing through the state.
The total surface water of entire river systems of the state is estimated to be of the order of 2746 Thousand Million Cubic Feet (TMC) at 75 percent dependability.
The state has tropical to sub-tropical climate. In the coastal area, humid to semihumid conditions prevail while in the interiors of the state; the climate is arid to semi-arid. The interior plateau areas have hot summers with relatively pleasant winters.
Andhra Pradesh falls under the 10th and 11th Agro-climatic zones as per 15 agroclimatic zones classified by the Planning Commission, Government of India. Fourteen districts of Rayalaseema and Telangana form part of the Southern Plateau and Hills zone (Zone 10) while the 9 coastal districts form part of the East-Coast plain and Hills Zone (Zone 11).
The state also has the second longest coastline (974 kms) among all the littoral states in India.
South West and North-East Monsoons are the two important periodic winds, which are the main sources of rain in the state. The states enjoys a mean annual rainfall of 858 mm: about 670 mm (78 per cent) of the total rainfall is received by suthwest monsoon.  During 2005-06, an average rainfall of 1147 mm was received as against the normal rainfall of 940 mm.
The state is well connected by roads and has total road network of 2.10 lakh kms as at the end of March 2005. The state has one international airport located at Hyderabad in addition to 5 domestic airports at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Tirupathi and Puttaparthi. New Hyderabad International Airport at Shamshabad is being developed under Public Private Partnership. The work is in full swing and it is expected that its phase I shall be completed by the end of 2007 and aircraft operations shall start by March 2008.
The State is also connected through sea with a major seaport located at Visakhapatnam in addition to other ports at Kakinada, Machilipatnam Nizampatnam, Krishnapatnam and Vodarevu.
All the villages in the state are electrified. The installed capacity during 2005-06 was 11134 MW.
Andhra Pradesh is the fifth largest state in the country with a population of 7.62 crore comprising 3.85 crore males and 3.77 crore females (2001 census).
The literacy rate in Andhra Pradesh as per census 2001 was 60.47 percent as against the all India average of 64.84 percent.
The total working population (main and marginal) in the state as per Census 2001, was 348.94 lakh, forming 46.08 percent of the total population. The State Government has been making a concerted effort to provide universal access to comprehensive health and Family Welfare services of acceptable standards of quality. The Birth Rate, Death Rate, Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate (per 1000 population) for the State are 20.6, 8.0, 62 and 1.54, respectively.
As per the estimates for the year 1999-2000, there were 119.01 lakh people below poverty line forming 15.77 percent of total population as against 26.10 percent for the country as a whole. Of this, 58.13 lakh (11.05 percent) were living in rural areas and 60.88 lakh (26.63 percent) in urban areas.
As per Advance Estimate the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at constant (1993-94) prices for the year 2005-06 is Rs.1, 17,434 crores as against the Quick Estimates of          Rs.1, 09,193 crores for the year 2004-05 registering a growth rate of 7.55 percent. The sectoral composition of GSDP in the state has been changing with a clear shift from Primary sector to Tertiary sector.
The per capita income in the state at constant prices rose from Rs.12352 during 2004-05 to Rs.13,135 during 2005-06 thus registering a growth rate of 6.34 percent over the previous year while the corresponding growth at all India level was 5.90 percent.
Out of the total geographical area of 274.40 lakh ha., the net area sown in the state was 108.39 lakh ha (39.5 percent of geographical area) in 2005-06.
The average size of land holdings in Andhra Pradesh was 1.25 ha in 2000-01,which came down from 1.36 ha as assessed in 1995-96. Totally, there were 115.32 lakh holdings occupying an area of 143.99 lakh ha of which 60.9 percent operational holdings were below one hectare (marginal) and they accounted for 21.56 percent of the total area. Increase in number of small and marginal holdings is a matter of concern.
The gross irrigated area during 2005-06 was 59.96 lakh ha and accounted for 44.9 percent of the Gross Cropped Area as compared to 39.8 percent during 2004-05. Out of the total irrigated area of 59.96 lakh ha. 64.1 percent was accounted for by rice, followed by 6.7 percent by Sugarcane, 4.7 percent by groundnut, 4.3 percent by Maize, 3.5 percent by Cotton, 2.1 percent by Chillies and remaining by other crops
The State Horticulture Department is making arrangements for supply of quality planting materials seed / seedlings.
There are 306 Agricultural Market Committees (AMC) constituted under the Act in the state with 875 notified markets. There are 46 markets notified for fruits & vegetables. To prevent farmers from resorting to distress sales, Rythu Bandhu Pathakam (pledge loan scheme) has been introduced in the AMC to provide finance to the farmers against pledge of their produce. AMCs also take up sale of quality seeds, pesticides and fertilisers on no-loss-no profit basis.

A network of 105 Rythu Bazaars has been established in the state through which the farmers are being given scope for marketing to the consumers directly thereby eliminating the middlemen.

 
   
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