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Tamil Nadu
A good year ahead for agrarians
Yielding: A farmer working in a paddy field at Atthimarapatti near Tuticorin.
Agrarian population in the district, the most predominant section, is elated as various schemes launched by the district administration are all set to increase their yield and income during this financial year.
Sources said that extension of financial assistance under Micro Irrigation Scheme (MIS) and distribution of high quality seeds as well as planting materials has come as a boon to the farmers at a time when many of them were planning to change their pr ofession owing to dwindling profit margins from agriculture.
Under MIS programme, the administration earmarked a whopping Rs.2.30 crore during this financial year to subsidise the cost of installation of drip irrigation units, to cover an area of 1,163 hectares. Of this, Rs.1.14 crore has been allocated for disbursal through horticulture department and Rs.1 crore through agricultural department. Similarly, the administration has distributed about 290 metric tonnes of high yielding seeds of various crops at subsidised rates during this fiscal till December.
About 12,000 tonnes of fertilizers like nitrogen, phosphorous and potash too were distributed during the same period.
According to official sources, 85,700 tonnes of paddy, 25,090 tonnes of pulses and 10,200 tonnes of oil seeds is expected to be produced from the district this fiscal.
Even the cotton growers have every reason to rejoice as the department of agriculture has set plans to bring about 1,000 acres under organic cotton for the first time. The experts feel that organic cotton will enhance the unit value realisation of the produce multi-fold.
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