The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Annamalai varsity project to improve farmers’ lot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 22, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Annamalai varsity project to improve farmers’ lot

Special Correspondent

CHIDAMBARAM: Annamalai University has taken up a project to improve the livelihood of small and marginal farmers in backward districts such as Cuddalore, Villupuram and Nagapattinam.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research will extend support to the project which will be completed in five years. It will be executed by the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture of the university.

Addressing a “stakeholders workshop” at the university, A.P. Srivastava, national coordinator (National Agricultural Innovation Projects) of the ICAR, said funds would not be a constraint for the project.

Three components

The ICAR-funded programmes have three components: the sponsored projects meant for infrastructure development; value chain system for taking technology to the end customers; and the projects for ensuring sustainable development in the backward regions.

Mr. Srivastava said the backward areas could not be transformed overnight, because, apart from technology, the socio-economic factors ought to be taken into consideration.

As such, the project taken up by the university would be a big challenge.

Right kind of partner

The project would have to be implemented through public-private participation, and, hence, the university should have the right kind of partner, Mr. Srivastava said.

The varsity should also see to it that by the end of the five-year term, the target groups are equipped to take up sustainable livelihood even after the withdrawal of the support mechanism.

He cited the instance in which certain farmers were taught the technique of motor rewinding that helped them to establish income generation avenues on a permanent basis.

Integrated farming

The Technical Advisory Group would evaluate the implementation, he said. L. B.Venkatrangan, Vice-Chancellor, said the project was necessary because of dwindling farm yield.

Integrated farming and precision farming ought to be promoted to ensure food security and sustained livelihood of farmers, he said.

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