The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Steps to provide adequate quantity of samba seeds

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Others

Steps to provide adequate quantity of samba seeds

By Our Staff Reporter

KUMBAKONAM, AUG. 12. The Thanjavur Collector, J. Radhakrishnan, today said steps had been taken to provide adequate quantity of samba seeds to farmers for cultivation.

Speaking at the International Rice Year 2004 celebrations at the Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI) at Aduthurai near Kumbakonam, the Collector said banks — both co-operative and commercial banks — had been instructed to provide necessary credit flow to farmers for the cultivation.

P. Baskaradoss, Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary, Agriculture Department, said the agriculture department officials had been instructed to rapport with farmers and help them in increasing the productivity.

"Agriculture department officials have been asked to make their presence felt among people," Mr. Baskaradoss said.

The United Nations has declared this year as the International Year of Rice. The Agriculture department introduced a special intensification project to increase rice productivity.

He suggested involving women self-help groups in agriculture activities. Previously women were trained in agriculture practices under a Danish-aided programme — Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture (TANWA). "Like that women self-help groups should be involved in disseminating novel methods of agriculture," he said.

Mr. Baskaradoss also said that research institutions should play an important role in allaying the doubts of not only big farmers but also marginal and small farmers. "Scientists should create an atmosphere that small farmers have no hesitation in entering TRRI and clear their doubts," he added.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of farmers from Cavuery delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam attended the technical sessions of the function. They were advised to take up Jatropha, sweet sorghum and sugar beet cultivation as an alternate crop.

Seeds of a new paddy culture AD02235 were given to selected farmers for a try. According to TRRI scientists, the culture was developed crossing BPT and CR1009 varieties of rice. The culture has duration of 150 days and is expected to be a substitute for CR1009. After a trial cultivation, the variety would be released.

Jagmohan Singh Raju, Commissioner of Agriculture, Navaneetha Krishnan, Joint director of Agriculture, and B.Chandrashekaran, Director, TRRI, spoke.

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