Thu Dec 18 14:48:58 UTC 2025: Nellore Collector’s ‘Champion Farmers’ Program Lauded by Chief Minister

Amaravati, India – December 18, 2025 – SPSR Nellore District Collector Himanshu Shukla’s “Champion Farmers” program has received high praise from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during the second day of the Collectors’ Conference held in Amaravati. The initiative aims to revolutionize the agricultural sector in the district by comprehensively connecting all relevant departments to directly benefit farmers.

Shukla presented the program’s details, highlighting the district’s water reserves, crop patterns, and strategies to boost farmers’ income. He explained that the “Champion Farmers” program is designed to address challenges such as decreasing cultivated areas, agricultural labor shortages, limited farm mechanization, excessive fertilizer and pesticide use, and inadequate market linkages and investment in food processing.

The core of the program involves identifying one “Champion Farmer” in each of the district’s 727 panchayats. These farmers will serve as role models and ambassadors, receiving training in the latest agricultural techniques and continuous guidance from local Village Agricultural Assistants (VAAs) for the next two years.

Chief Minister Naidu commended Shukla for the program’s innovative design and its potential to efficiently utilize human resources. He suggested expanding the program’s reach to horticultural crops and transforming self-help groups formed through “Champion Farmers” into MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises). He also emphasized the importance of raising awareness about government policies like “Rythanna Mee Kosam” to ensure farmers receive maximum benefits.

The Chief Minister advised all district collectors to improve access to agricultural mechanization clusters, reduce agricultural costs, and ultimately maximize farmer incomes through Rythu Seva Kendra (RSKs) and Swarna Andhra Vision Action Plan Units.

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