more-in Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu inaugurated a four-day Organic-cum-Nursery Expo at the Siddhartha College of Hotel Management grounds here on Tuesday. The expo was being organised for the first time in the State by the Department of Horticulture in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the International Competence Centre for Organic Culture (ICCOA). Addressing the gathering, the Finance Minister said the risk was less in horticulture crops compared to agricultural crops. The sole reason for losses in the agriculture sector was that it was dependent on nature. Also expenditure in horticulture was less and returns were high compared to agriculture. Keeping in view these facts, the government was encouraging horticulture, he said. Mr. Ramakrishnudu said the State and the Central governments had allocated ?1,476 crore for the development of horticulture in the State. The agriculture sector contributed 24% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the horticulture 18 to 19%. The voluntary organisations and the farmers associations also should come forward in creating awareness on the advantages of horticulture. The government would extend all possible help to provide marketing facilities and ensure remunerative prices to the farmers. Referring to agriculture, the Minister said the farmers could bring down the cost of cultivation by adopting the latest technologies and switching over to mechanisation. Excessive use of fertilizers and chemicals were leading to health problems. The soil strength would also deteriorate over time. Organic farming was the best solution to address these issues, he said. Zilla Parishad Chairperson Gadde Anuradha, Horticulture Commissioner Chiranjeevi Choudary, Deputy Director G. Hanumantha Rao, Mayor Koneru Sridhar, Deputy Mayor Gogula Venkata Ramana and others spoke.

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