Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110759990800.htm

Tamil Nadu

State trying to improve farm production, condition of farmers, says Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

Aim is to become the most socially and economically progressive State

Photo: K. Ananthan

NEW INITIATIVE: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi inaugurating a Farmers’ Residency during the fourth national conference of Krishi Vigyan Kendras at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on Friday. Union Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar, State Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam (left) and Director General of ICAR Mangala Rai (right) are in the picture. —

COIMBATORE: The State government is initiating measures to improve agriculture production and is surging ahead to become the most socially and economically progressive State in the country, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said here on Friday.

Presiding over the inaugural of the Fourth National Conference on Krishi Vigyan Kendras, organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mr. Karunanidhi listed efforts made for improving not only agriculture production but also the condition of farmers.

The government was providing 50 per cent of insurance premium as subsidy to farmers from 2006-2007. The insurance provided cover against crop loss owing to natural calamities. He said Rs.652 crore had been sanctioned to more than five lakh affected farmers.

Efforts pay off

Recalling efforts made from 1967, when C.N. Annadurai was the Chief Minister, Mr. Karunanidhi said wells had been dug in the Cauvery Delta and other districts to step up irrigation. The land cess was annulled for rain-fed crops in order to encourage farmers to increase food grains production.

Mr. Karunanidhi said that after he took over as Chief Minister in 1969, he gave impetus to technology for increasing agricultural production. “Hence I upgraded Coimbatore Agricultural College to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1971.” Intensive research was then done in the university to increase crop density and an Intensive Agricultural Development Programme carried out to improve food grains production.

All these resulted in increasing the production of food grains from 54 lakh tonnes in 1967 to 72 lakh tonnes in 1976. This rose to 91 lakh tonnes in 2008-2009. Rice production was now 3,450 kg a hectare. Transfer of technology alone made this possible.

Shrinking space

The Chief Minister called for efforts to step up agriculture productivity as industrialisation and urbanisation had shrunk the space for cultivation.

Although the State had attained a good position in the total production of food grains, especially rice and millets, improvement was required with regard to pulses and oilseeds. Agriculture scientists and Krish Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) should impart training in latest technology to farmers for increasing the production of these commodities.

Inaugurating the conference, Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar said Tamil Nadu had realised the highest productivity level in coconut and sugar cane. The level with regard to crops such as paddy, maize, groundnut, sesame, black gram and green gram was well above the national average.

Mr. Pawar gave away Best KVKs awards for 2008-2009 to the kendras in Erode (Tamil Nadu), Sana (Madhya Pradesh) and North Goa.

State Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugham said the agriculture sector must look at increasing food and vegetable production as lifestyle modifications led to a shift from rice and wheat based food. He called upon scientists to provide key inputs to the Centre and State government to improve food production.

Union Agriculture Secretary T. Nandakumar, Director-General of ICAR Mangala Rai and TNAU Vice-Chancellor P. Murugesa Boopathi were among those who addressed the inaugural. Mr. Karunanidhi opened a Farmers’ Residency at the university. Mr. Pawar opened an agriculture technology exhibition and released five scientific publications.