District Collector A. Shyam Prasad outlined the district’s role in the Integrated Horticulture Development Plan at a review meeting with Agriculture and Horticulture officials on Friday, September 25. The state programme, branded “Global Horticulture Hub – Rayalaseema Rising,” is intended to raise farm incomes by improving links to markets, processing, value addition and exports.
The proposal for Sri Sathya Sai district covers 185,991 hectares of horticultural crops, organised into 23 clusters associated with 348 Rythu Seva Kendras. It is expected to benefit 285,462 farmers, with a stated estimated outlay of ₹1,600.41 crore. The figures describe the district plan; the announcement does not say that the full area or funding has already been delivered.
Two allocations highlighted by the Collector are ₹710.70 crore for micro-irrigation across 78,967 hectares and ₹436.73 crore for high-value crops on 72,789 hectares. The wider strategy also includes quality planting material and modern cultivation, followed by mechanisation, grading, packing and processing. Strengthening farmer-producer organisations is another stated element, alongside awareness and capacity-building programmes planned for about 58,000 farmers.
The plan’s success will depend on connecting these production-side investments to reliable buyers and post-harvest infrastructure. The programme description places market linkages, processing and exports alongside crop development, rather than treating horticultural acreage as the only measure of progress. The source announcement does not specify export targets, the crops selected for each cluster or a delivery timetable for the individual investments.
The state government is scheduled to inaugurate the plan in Madanapalle on October 2. Ahead of the launch, farmers have been urged to take part in cluster-level discussions on September 29, a tractor rally on September 30 and cultural events on October 1. Those meetings are intended to bring local growers into the programme’s rollout; further operational details may emerge as the state moves from the announcement to implementation.