Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday directed the Agriculture Department to establish an Agriculture Equipment Bank to provide farmers with modern machinery, drones and scientific cultivation tools aimed at reducing the cost of farming.

Reviewing procurement of paddy, cotton, chilli and other commercial crops at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister said farmers must have access to updated equipment through a dedicated website carrying full details of available machinery.

Naidu reviewed paddy procurement in the ongoing Kharif season and preparations for Rabi. Officials of the Civil Supplies Department informed him that the state has so far procured 18.32 lakh metric tonnes of paddy through 2,606 centres, with payments of Rs 4,085 crore made to farmers within 24 hours. They said the department had targeted procurement of 50 lakh metric tonnes for 2025–26 and recorded a 32 per cent increase over last year. The CM instructed officials to ensure that farmers face no hurdles at procurement centres and directed NDA legislators to visit centres and monitor operations. He emphasised encouraging cultivation of rice varieties preferred by consumers during the Rabi season, while promoting small grains such as ragi, jowar and sajja in line with local food habits. These crops, he said, must be procured and marketed effectively, including for international markets.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), the Chief Minister said farmers were being inconvenienced by delayed slot allocation and technical problems in the Kapas Kisan app. He ordered state officials to write to the Centre seeking an immediate resolution and directed CCI not to create procurement obstacles. Naidu also asked departments to coordinate with analytical institutions to expand markets for crops like chilli and to promote scientific methods that improve crop quality. Officials briefed him that subabul is cultivated on 45,420 hectares, prompting the CM to instruct them to ensure farmers receive prices aligned with prevailing market rates. He sought a meeting with buyers soon to address issues concerning horticulture crops such as banana and lemon. The Chief Minister said rationalising the harvest calendar of commercial crops was essential to prevent market gluts and ensure minimum support price. Farmers should be educated on scientific harvesting schedules, he said, while transportation costs must be reduced and exports expanded.

Directing departments to coordinate production and marketing through crop-based clusters, Naidu ordered immediate release of funds for government-purchased onion stocks. Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar and senior officials participated in the review.