Buoyed at the appreciation received for having employed organic products in the preparation of daily ‘Naivedhyam’ (food offering) to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, the TTD is now contemplating to extend the same to ‘Nitya Annadanam’, a free meals scheme.
At a meeting with organic farmers on Tuesday, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams(TTD) Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy exhorted the farmers of Rayalseema districts to grow organic vegetables for use in ‘Nitya Annadanam’.
“The TTD has a long list of vegetable donors who regularly contribute to annadanam activities. We will get every farmer tagged with a vegetable donor who in turn shall procure all the produce at a reliable price. This will not not only ensure complete sale of the produce but also fulfill the intention of the management in providing healthy food to the visiting devout,” he said.
As a first step in this direction, the details of organic farmers will been enlisted.
Preference to farmers of Tirupati, Chittoor
Taking into consideration the proximity and easy transportation of the produce from the farmlands, it has been decided to initially attach preference to the farmers of Tirupati and Chittoor districts, and later extend it to other neighbouring districts like Annamayya, Kadapa and Nellore etc., in a phased manner.