Agricultural Economics

Agricultural Economics section was part of the Agronomy department from 1945-54. In 1954, Agricultural Economics section was separated from Agronomy department and made an independent section, headed by Mr I V Parthasarathy. In 1967, Statistics and Mathematics were included and designated as Division of Agricultural Economics & Statistics. In 1977, Statistics and Mathematics section was separated from this Department. In 1976, Post-graduate programme was started in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Since 1972, Asst. Research Officer of Cost of Cultivation Scheme sponsored by Government of India is operating from this department.

The faculty strength of this department include: Professor and Head (1), Associate Professor (1), Assistant Professors (4), Record Assistant (1) and Office sub-ordinates (2). The Department is offering five courses (13 credits) in B. Sc Hons (Ag) programme and also offering courses to B.Tech (Ag. Engg) and B. Tech (Food Science) programme with credit hours of three and six respectively. The staff are actively involved in imparting soft skills and data analytical techniques by employing different statistical softwares. This department also actively involved in RAWE programme with three credits covering Agro- Economic Surveys, Farm holding surveys and Alternate Farm Plans. The Experiential Learning Programme with two units were allotted for this department viz., Agricultural Consultancy and Food Retailing.

The department is offering ten courses to M. Sc (Ag) students and seven courses to Ph D scholars. So far, 160 students have obtained M.Sc (Ag) degrees and 10 Ph.D scholars obtained their doctorates. Five students received Sri Ramachandrula Hanumantha Rao and Srimathi Rajyalakshmi Memorial gold medal for obtaining highest OGPA in M.Sc (Agril Economics) from 2006-07 to 2010-11.

This Department actively involved in organizing a National Conference on Adoption Interventions for Climate Resilient Agriculture in Coastal Agro-Ecosystem 9th to 10th March 2017, two day National Seminar on Techno-Strategic Interventions for Profitable Agriculture organized on 26th and 27th March, 2018, National Dialogue on Smart Farming for Sustainability of Small Farmers from 24th to 25th March, 2018, and a National Symposium on the Choice of Farming Models for Income Security Towards Equity and Sustainability from 21st to 22nd June, 2019.

AWARDS

• Dr V.T. Raju, Professor and Univ. Head was the recipient of prestigious ICAR Jawaharlal Nehru Award for outstanding post graduate research in Agricultural Economics in 1974.  He was the first recipient of the award in ANGRAU in Agril. Economics and in the country.  Dr V T Raju was also the recipient of state level meritorious teacher award by the Andhra Pradesh in 2005.
• Dr S M Shareef, Professor was the recipient of the prestigious ICAR Jawaharlal Nehru Award for outstanding Post Graduate research in Agril. Economics in 1991.
• Dr D Vishnu Sankar Rao Professor (Retd) received University Best Teacher Award, 1998, Mocherela Dattatreyulu Award in 2010, FAO Fellowship in Agri-business Management (Texas A&M University)
• Dr G. Raghunatha Reddy, Principal Scientist (Ag. Econ) received Mocherela Dattatreyulu Award in 2011
• Dr. K. Nirmal Ravi Kumar received Mocherela Dattatreyulu Award in 2016 and State Best Teacher Award in 2016.
• Dr K Suseela has received World Champion 2018 in Agriculture Science (Dryland) and certified as Fellow, Directorate of Agriculture, IASR (Lifetime membership) for outstanding scientific contributions