Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today claimed that ‘Foreign Direct Investment’ (FDI) will benefit farmers, other professions like fishermen as these firms will invest upto Rs 500 crore in retail trade in cities of more than ten lakh such as Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. The FDI will help the farmers, fishermen and shepherds and get remunerative prices for their produces, the Chief Minister said, while addressing inland fishermen and SHGs at Atmakur in Mahaboobnagar District. Mr Reddy announced that his Government was making all efforts for increasing production of fish and fish products from the present Rs 11,000 to 20,000 crore in a year.
The Chief Minister said ‘nala cess’ has been abolished for fisheries and agri-based sectors.
He said the government was providing Indiramma housing, community halls, 10,000 ice boxes and financial assistance to ‘matsya mitra’ groups, an official release here said. UNI