Rayalaseema ryots who battle the odds deserve every support, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said farmers of Rayalaseema “rightly deserve every support” from the Central and State governments as they relentlessly struggle to cultivate their land with determination despite inadequate rainfall and hardships.

The Union Minister on Friday (October 2, 2026) jointly launched the ₹1 lakh crore Global Horticulture Hub – Rayalaseema Rising project and laid the foundation stone for the Indian School of Agriculture (ISA) here, along with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Sitharaman said the event was “a historic moment for the region”. The initiatives were being launched on the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, whose messages of ‘’Swadeshi-Swarajya’’ and “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” had placed farmers at the centre of nation-building. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues that focus through initiatives such as PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, subsidised fertilizers, crop insurance and climate-resilient crop varieties,” she said.

Fertilizer subsidy

The Union Minister said that a urea bag costing around ₹3,000 internationally was being supplied to farmers for about ₹300 in India, with the Centre bearing nearly ₹2,700 as subsidy per bag. “Despite global conflicts, efforts are continuing to ensure that farmers do not face fertilizer shortages,” she said.

Highlighting the Gobardhan scheme for biogas production and PM-KUSUM for solar-powered agricultural pumps, she said that the Centre and State were jointly implementing schemes for aquaculture and livestock farmers. “The objective of the horticulture hub project is to transform 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh into a global horticulture centre, backed by efficient water management, better technology and improved crop varieties,” Ms. Sitharaman said.

“The Indian School of Agriculture established by Reliance can provide farmers with specialised support similar to the role played by the Indian School of Business in management education,” she said, congratulating Reliance and expressing hope that the institution would develop into a world-class centre.

In a lighter vein, Ms. Sitharaman observed, “I am a daughter-in-law of Andhra Pradesh, not merely a daughter,” reacting to Anant Ambani’s request that she accept him as a son of Andhra Pradesh.