New Global Horticulture Hub to Convert Drought Areas into Fruit Bowl

A landmark horticulture project was launched in Madanapalle, aiming to convert the arid Royal Scimma belt into a thriving fruit‑producing zone. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, together with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, laid the cornerstone for the Global Horticulture Hub and a new Indian School of Agriculture.

The venture commands a total outlay of ₹1 lakh crore, split between a central grant of ₹40,352 crore and an ambitious private sector raise of ₹60,000 crore. Execution will be phased across ten districts—Anantapur, Annamayya, Chittoor, Kurnool, Nandyal, Sri Sathya Sai, Tirupati, Kadapa, Prakasam and Markapuram—encompassing 303 mandals, 5,869 villages and 201 clusters.

The government intends to enlarge the horticultural footprint from 8.41 lakh hectares to 14.41 lakh hectares, adding six lakh hectares of new farmland. Production is projected to climb from 222 lakh tonnes to 435 lakh tonnes, delivering direct benefits to 9.6 lakh farmers.

An extra 9 lakh acres of ayacut will be brought under irrigation, while 4.3 lakh acres will see stabilized water supply. Naidu assured that growers will soon harvest apples, strawberries, bananas, avocados, kiwis and dates, positioning the region as a global "fruit bowl".