Date:28/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/28/stories/2008122852420300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Sugarcane, cotton under precision farming in 500 hectares: Agriculture Commissioner

Staff Reporter

A subsidy of Rs. 2 crore has been provided by the Government for the purpose

– Photo: N. Bashkaran.

Fund for growth: State Agriculture Commissioner S. Kosalaraman distributing loan to a women SHG member at Thanampatti village in Krishnagiri block on Saturday.

KRISHNAGIRI: Farming of Sugarcane and Cotton crops under precision farming method is being undertaken in 500 hectares with the help of a Rs. 2 crore subsidy in Krishnagiri district, said S. Kosalaraman, Agriculture Commissioner.

Mr. Kosalaraman, who was here to inaugurate corn crops farming through the National Agricultural Development plan, said that to get maximum yield under the precision method fertilizers are being used through precision irrigation system.

Action is being taken to select good variety of seeds which will result in 60 to 80 per cent higher yield. In addition to this, the district administration is taking measures to establish agriculture clinics and soil testing labs in all the 10 blocks through Agriculture Engineering and Forest Department. This scheme will provide employment opportunity to the unemployed youth in the villages. Agriculture graduates would be given a subsidy of Rs. 30 lakh to establish such centres at the block level, he added.

He said an automatic weather station would also be established in the blocks at a cost Rs. 7.5 lakhs each which will help the farmers to know the weather conditions in advance to plan farming activities. To offset the availability of farm labourers, farming equipments are being supplied to farmers at 50 per cent subsidy. For production of natural manure and vermicompost the department is providing Rs. 55.5 lakh as subsidy, Mr. Kosalaraman added.

More rain

Kosalaraman said the rainfall this season was 19 per cent higher than last year. Krishnagiri district’s normal rainfall is 830 mm, but this year rain in Krishnagiri was 987 mm. All important water storages were almost full except two. Water level at the Krishagiri dam was 50.8 ft as against its full capacity of 52 ft. Water from storages is being released for irrigation. About 6000 hectare of farming lands will benefit, he added. He said that under the seed village scheme a sum of Rs. 7.5 lakhs was allotted out of which Rs. 3.5 lakhs was spent for this scheme. Under the integrated coconut development scheme, Rs. 2.55 lakhs was allocated for providing field level maintenance training to coconut farmers. Earlier he held discussions with the Collector V.K. Shanmugam and officials of the Agriculture Department and distributed loans to SHGs.