In a significant move aimed at economic transformation, the Member of Parliament from Anakapalli has presented a comprehensive blueprint to the Union Minister for Food Processing and Industries, Chirag Paswan. The plan focuses on radically improving the livelihoods of farmers and fishermen while generating substantial employment for the youth in the Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing Core Challenges in Agriculture and Fisheries
During the meeting, the MP detailed the persistent challenges faced by agricultural and fishing communities in the district's backward areas. He emphasized that the primary hurdle is the severe lack of modern infrastructure for value addition. This deficiency forces producers to sell raw commodities at low prices, leading to financial instability. The MP argued that implementing five strategic projects could dramatically uplift the living standards of over 100,000 families across the region.
Five Key Proposals for Value Addition
The cornerstone of the proposal involves establishing a common facility centre with vacuum evaporation technology for sugarcane. Currently, Anakapalli and Tummapala produce roughly 120,000 metric tons of sugarcane annually. However, due to reliance on traditional jaggery-making methods, farmers receive a meager ₹40 to ₹45 per kilogram. The new facility would enable production of high-value pharma-grade jaggery powder and liquid jaggery, which could fetch between ₹120 and ₹150 per kilo. This initiative alone stands to benefit approximately 50,000 sugarcane farming families.
For tomato cultivators in Madugula mandal, who frequently suffer losses during market gluts, the MP has sought sanction for a tomato pulping unit under the Operation Greens scheme. Similarly, to support cashew growers in the Narsipatnam agency area, the plan includes creating a local cashew nut processing cluster. This move is expected to ensure remunerative prices for more than 10,000 cashew farmers.
Turning Waste into Wealth and Boosting Exports
A particularly innovative proposal targets the massive fish waste generated on the Pudimadaka coast. Thousands of tons of shrimp shells and fish scales are discarded every year. The MP's plan involves setting up a unit to extract chitosan and collagen, valuable compounds used in the pharmaceutical industry. Transforming this zero-value waste into raw material worth ₹1,500 per kilogram could provide a significant additional income stream for over 20,000 fishing families.
To create a larger ecosystem for food processing, the MP has requested the central government to approve an agro-processing cluster in Anakapalli under the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana. This cluster is projected to attract a government grant of ₹10 crores and spur nearly ₹150 crores in private investment, potentially creating more than 3,000 jobs for local youth.
Furthermore, addressing a critical gap for exporters, the proposal highlights the need for a regional FSSAI-recognised food testing lab within the district. Currently, the absence of such a facility forces exporters to travel long distances for certification, causing delays. A local lab would enable same-day certification, significantly speeding up export processes.
The Anakapalli MP conveyed to Union Minister Chirag Paswan that the holistic implementation of these five key proposals would usher in historic changes for the district's agriculture and food processing sectors, setting a new benchmark for rural economic development.
