Andhra Pradesh is planning a significant expansion of rainfed agriculture, with millets and sorghum positioned among the crops expected to bring currently uncultivated land back into production.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed agriculture officials to bring 8.61 lakh hectares of uncultivated land under rainfed cultivation during a review of agriculture and allied departments. The proposed crop portfolio specifically includes millets, ragi, foxtail millet, jowar, bajra, maize and horse gram.

For the millet sector, the direction is notable because it explicitly identifies several individual millet crops rather than referring broadly to crop diversification. Ragi is finger millet, jowar is sorghum and bajra is pearl millet, while foxtail millet is separately included in the proposed rainfed crop mix.

The state government has also been asked to support participating farmers with subsidised seeds and farm machinery suited to local crop requirements. Natural farming is another component of the proposed agricultural strategy.

The millet initiative forms part of a wider effort to improve agricultural planning. Naidu directed officials to assess market demand before determining cropping patterns, monitor whether production corresponds with demand and identify crops or regions where government market intervention may be necessary.

Minimum Support Price implementation and procurement were also discussed. Officials were instructed to encourage cultivation of crops covered by centrally announced MSPs and consider buy-back arrangements where required. State networks including Markfed, Oilfed, Rythu Bazars and ration shops are expected to play a role in procurement and market management.

Climate conditions are another important component of the agricultural planning exercise. The Chief Minister directed officials to communicate monthly with the central government regarding measures addressing the impact of El Niño. The government also identified 3.61 lakh hectares of horticultural crops as being at high risk and announced ₹190 crore for life-saving irrigation measures.

For Andhra Pradesh's millet sector, bringing uncultivated land into rainfed production could create opportunities for expanding crops adapted to comparatively water-constrained environments. However, the 8.61-lakh-hectare figure covers the overall proposed rainfed-crop programme, not millet cultivation alone.

The development therefore represents a potentially important expansion pathway for finger millet, foxtail millet, pearl millet and sorghum while linking their cultivation with drought preparedness, farm support and market planning.