Date:21/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/21/stories/2007092153900300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Training programme for farmers inaugurated

Staff Reporter

Krishnagiri: Training for farmers on various horticultural cultivation technologies was inaugurated in Krishnagiri district on Thursday.

According to official sources, about 50,000 farmers in 14 districts would be trained for four days on various horticulture technologies under the National Horticulture Mission.

Officials said that farmers would be given training on the cultivation of mango, banana, cashew nut, chilli, turmeric, medicinal plants and cut flowers especially Roses.

Officials from the Department of Horticulture would train them on adoption of effective water management practices, including drip and sprinkler irrigation.

They asked farmers to take up cultivation of cut flowers especially Roses to exploit the ample market potential. The district administration has planned to encourage unemployed educated youth to set up poly green houses in villages to grow cut flowers, which was earlier confined only to private players. A separate project was under implementation after taking into account the requirement of small and marginal farmers. The National Horticulture Board , Small Farmers Agriculture Consortium and the State Government were implementing the project in the clusters of Berigai, Thally and Kelamangalam in Krishnagiri district.

As many as 128 farmers from Berigai followed by 62 in Kelamangalam and 78 in Thally would get benefit under this project. Each farmer would set up small green houses of 500 sq.m in their farms. Common grading hall, pre-cooling facilities and refrigerated vans would be provided for each cluster.

The Department of Horticulture would assist farmers in procuring the required planting materials, fertilizers and equipment. Hosur Sub-Collector S. Nagarajan spoke.