The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : State sets 115 lakh tonnes as foodgrain production target

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Tuesday, Jun 28, 2011
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Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

State sets 115 lakh tonnes as foodgrain production target

Staff Reporter

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

On overcoming challenges:K. Arul Mozhi, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government (centre), releasing a publication during the 77th Scientific Workers' Conference at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on Monday. Receiving the first copy is Sandeep Saxena, Commissioner of Agriculture (second right). (left to right) B. Chandra Mohan, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, P. Murugesa Boopathi, Vice-Chancellor of the university, and Rajeev Ranjan, Commissioner of Sugars, are in the picture. —

COIMBATORE: The State has done well in agriculture in terms of technology generation and dissemination. “But to meet the State Government's foodgrain production target of 115 lakh tonnes for 2011, we have to stretch our efforts,” K. Arul Mozhi, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government, said here on Monday.

Speaking at the 77th Scientific Workers' Conference at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he stressed that the target had to be achieved with 22 lakh hectares under rice, and 10 lakh hectares each under millets and pulses. And added to this was the depletion and exploitation of the two major factors – land and water.

Elaborating the agricultural goals of the State Government, the Commissioner said it included doubling food production, doubling farmer income, and diversifying to augment the income of the farmer without affecting the food security.

Referring to comparative statistics, Mr. Arul Mozhi said the net sown area had reduced to 50 lakh hectares in 2000s as against 56 lakh hectares in 1950s. “Small and marginal farmers are dominantly engaged in agricultural activities in 58 per cent of the total net sown area.”

“Agricultural mechanisation is seen as the best solution to address labour shortage, avoid drudgery and maintain gender equality. But how far its benefits have reached the farmer is to be assessed. It has to be evaluated to check whether it is suitable to our conditions, cost-effective and also gender-friendly. In the same way, technology adoption is also found to be very minimal,” Mr. Arul Mozhi said.

Rajeev Ranjan, Commissioner of Sugars, said that agriculture contributed to less than 10 per cent of the State's economy. Since the manufacturing and service sectors were very strong, people who had weaned away from agriculture were able to find alternative livelihood.

“The main challenge is to make agriculture sustainable and remunerative. The national growth rate of agriculture has reduced. But the State has the most progressive set of farmers. It should be possible to achieve the ambitious target set by the government,” he said.

Sandeep Saxena, Commissioner of Agriculture, said though the share of agriculture in the economy was shrinking, it still continued to provide livelihood to many people.

“We have lesser availability of various resources in the State. But we have done well in spite of all odds. Farm land area is shrinking. It is a situation where both large and small farmers consider agriculture unsustainable. TNAU has given us enough inputs in the form of farm practices, technologies, etc. But what is missing is farm-level intervention in reaching these to the farmers. Wide use of ICT and extension activities are needed to take the knowledge to the individual farmer,” he said.

B. Chandra Mohan, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, said the current year was set to become a watershed in extension.

“Precision farming has been promoted in more than 15,000 hectares in horticulture alone. High-density planting in mango has been standardised. But it is yet to take off in banana,” he said. New crops should also be considered for high-density planting,” he said.

R. Subramanian, Chief Engineer, Agricultural Engineering, said that reaching mechanisation and technology to farmers in the mission mode was the need of the hour.

P. Murugesa Boopathi, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the university focused on education, research and extension. In terms of education, TNAU had been rated the best among the 52 State Agricultural Universities. In terms of research, the university had to its credit many crop varieties, technologies and implements. It had recently suggested specific critical technologies for 19 crops to the State Government for increasing productivity. He sought the support of extension workers in taking all these to the farmers.

K.K. Kaushal, Managing Director, SAGOSERVE, Salem, said agriculture as a profession in Tamil Nadu was more lucrative when compared to other States.

S. Rajkumar, Scientist, Central Silk Board, Salem, and M. Paramathma, Director of Research, TNAU, among others spoke.

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