Agriculture Minister Atchannaidu highlights digital initiatives taken to support farmers in Andhra Pradesh

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan with Agriculture Ministers of southern States, at a conference in Hyderabad on Friday. Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu (second from right) is seen. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu on Friday outlined Andhra Pradesh’s digital agriculture initiatives and measures to support farmers at a conference of Agriculture Ministers of southern States held in Hyderabad.He said 52.08 lakh of nearly 60 lakh PM-KISAN beneficiaries had been issued Farmer IDs under AgriStack, achieving 86.8% of the target. The Kharif-2026 digital crop survey had covered about 97 lakh acres belonging to nearly 68 lakh farmers.Mr. Atchannaidu said APAIMS 2.0 had been introduced for digital, crop-based fertilizer distribution. About 24.69 lakh farmers had purchased fertilizers through the system. He claimed urea consumption had declined from 6.67 lakh tonnes to about 4.60 lakh tonnes, while the system had helped save 22% of fertilizer by curbing unauthorised use.Crop insuranceDespite El Niño conditions, the State had achieved about 99% of its pulses cultivation target, he said. The government had earmarked ₹200 crore to provide contingency seeds at 80% subsidy, the Agriculture Minister added. He further said 44 lakh crop insurance applications had been received, covering nearly 17 lakh hectares with insurance protection of about ₹16,000 crore.He urged the Centre to expedite pending crop insurance claims and continue support for AgriStack and digital agriculture initiatives. Published - September 18, 2026 07:40 pm IST