Kuppam Horticulture Hub shines with SKOCH Award

 Kuppam (Chittoor district): Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s constituency Kuppam has emerged as a beacon of agricultural transformation. The Kuppam Horticulture Hub, also known as the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for vegeta-bles and flowers, has gained recognition for its ground breaking contributions to horticulture. Recently, the hub was honoured with the prestigious SKOCH Award, marking a significant achievement for Andhra Pradesh and India.

The hub was inaugurated on January 2, 2019, by N Chandrababu Naidu during his previous stint as Chief Minister and spans 22.8 acres of land. It has revolutionised flower and vegetable cultivation by incorporating advanced Israeli agricultural technologies.

The CoE boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure, including 19 polyhouses, water storage tanks, cold rooms and grading machinery, enabling local farmers to optimise their resources and maximise yields. The climatic conditions in the area also best suites the CoE activities.

One of the key focus areas of the hub is the production of disease-resistant grafted vegetable plants and hybrid seeds. These innovations have been instrumental in increasing productivity and profitability for farmers. Additionally, the CoE conducts training programmes to educate farmers, agricultural officers and students on modern farming techniques, such as drip irrigation, polyhouse cultivation and organic farming.

Since its inception, the Kuppam Horticulture Hub has achieved remarkable milestones. Over 6.4 million grafted plants have been produced, generating Rs.42.49 crore in revenue. Collaborating with private companies, the hub has cultivated 586.5 kilograms of F1 hybrid marigold seeds, earning Rs 1.06 crore. Farmers have also embraced new crop varieties such as oriental muskmelon and golden tomatoes and introduced vertical gardening methods, significantly enhancing their income potential.

The SKOCH Award recognises the hub’s excellence in adopting innovative practices, fostering farmer en-gagement and elevating agricultural productivity. This accolade underscores the CoE’s pivotal role in in-tegrating advanced technology with traditional farming practices, setting a benchmark for agricultural excellence across the nation.

The impact of the Kuppam Horticulture Hub has reached beyond Andhra Pradesh. Agricultural experts and officials from states like Kerala, Mizoram and Haryana have visited the hub to study its practices, while international scientists from Israel, Japan and the Netherlands have contributed their knowledge. These collaborations have further enriched the hub’s initiatives, cementing its reputation as a global leader in horticultural innovation.

District Collector Sumit Kumar lauded the vision of former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in estab-lishing the hub, emphasising its role in improving the livelihoods of farmers through education and tech-nology. The hub’s success is a testament to its commitment to creating a sustainable and prosperous future for the farming community.