Farmers in Anakapalli face hardship amid lack of horticulture officers

Anakapalli: Farmers in the Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh are facing all the hardships amid a lack of horticulture officers. Despite the fact that the state government has been providing subsidies and other support to them, the schemes are not being implemented due to a shortage of staff. Farmers of the Chodavaram and Madugula constituencies are facing the severe issues.

There has been no regular horticulture officer in the Chodavaram cluster for the last three years. Earlier, an officer was promoted and transferred to somewhere else; since then, the post has been vacant. An officer got the charge but transferred immediately to Vizianagaram.

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Currently, the Devarapalli horticulture officer has been handling four mandals, including Madugula and Ravikamatham, while the Anakapalli officer is looking for six mandals, including Chodavaram, Chodikada, and Buchcheyyapeta. Only five officers are working out of 24 mandals in the district. The workload has delayed field visits and scheme implementation.

These areas are known for the bumper production of several crops such as palm oil, cashew, mango, and vegetables. Farmers have been complaining that due to the shortage of officers, government schemes are not reaching them on time. They are requesting higher authorities to appoint full-time officers for the smooth work in the district and timely distribution of government subsidies.