The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Precision farming planned

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Precision farming planned

Staff Reporter

PUDUKOTTAI: Centrally-sponsored precision farming programme will be implemented in Pudukottai district with the objective of converting the farmers into agricultural entrepreneurs.

The subsidy-based programme, to be implemented under the National Agricultural Development Project, will cover an area of 200 hectares, Collector D. Uthirakkumaran said here on Monday.

He said that the programme would be executed in co-ordination with the Agriculture and Horticulture departments and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

The departments would cover 90 hectares each while the remaining 20 hectares would be brought under precision farming by the university. He said that a subsidy equivalent to 50 per cent of the farming expenses or Rs.40,000 _ whichever is higher _ would be released to each of the beneficiary-farmer. Efforts would be taken to set up agricultural clinics-cum-mini soil testing laboratories under the NADP.

The programme, he said, would ensure generation of job opportunities to unemployed graduates and post-graduates in agriculture.

Bank loan with a back-end subsidy of 50 per cent towards the estimate for setting up the clinic would be sanctioned to each unemployed beneficiary. “This agri-clinic will also function as a knowledge-provider at block levels and help effective technology transfer thereby increasing the crop productivity and per capita income of the farmers,” the Collector said.

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