The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Plan to boost agriculture in Tirupur

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Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Plan to boost agriculture in Tirupur

R Vimal Kumar

Area covered to go up by 10 p.c. and productivity by 20 p. c.

– Photo:M. Balaji

Standing tall: To improve coconut yield, Azadiracuhtin concentrate will be distributed to farmers.

Tirupur: Agricultural activity in the industrially buzzing ‘Tirupur block’ is set to witness a boom this fiscal as the Department of Agriculture has come out with an action plan to increase area coverage and productivity thereby hoping to enhance living standards of farmers.

Increased production

The overall area coverage of agriculture crops will be enhanced by 10 per cent and productivity by 20 per cent.

M. Subbiah, Assistant Director of Agriculture, told The Hindu that fallow land in the block would be developed to increase the gross cropped area from 4,500 ha registered last financial year to about 5,000 ha before March 31, 2009.

Of the total envisaged area, millets would be raised on 3,000 ha, maize on 500 ha, green gram on 180 ha, cowpea on 200 ha, groundnut on 500 ha, coconut on 580 ha and rest to be brought under crops such as gingelly, sugarcane and black gram.

To attain the yield targets, the department plans to distribute high yielding seeds, bio fertilizers and chemical fertilizers at subsidized rates.

Arrangements

"We are making arrangements to distribute adequate quantity of Di-Ammonium Phosphate, Ammonium Sulphate, Ammonium Chloride and complex fertilizers through 10 private outlets and 18 Primary Agriculture Co-operative Societies functioning within the block," Mr Subbiah said.

Likewise, micro nutrient mixtures would be given away at subsidized rates to improve soil health.

Coconut yield

For improving coconut yield, Azadiracuhtin concentrate would be distributed at 50 per cent subsidy to 200 farmers through Agricultural Extension Centres in Tirupur city and Perumanallu to combat the atatck of Eriphyid mite, a pest, prevalent in the area.

"Adoption of these measures will help us to obtain an yield of 3.4 tonne/ha for millets, 600 kg/ha for pulses, one tonne/ha for oil seeds, 125 tonne/ha for sugarcane and 90 nuts per tree for coconut," the Assistant Director said.

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