The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Scope for cultivation of horticultural crops in Tiruvarur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Others

Scope for cultivation of horticultural crops in Tiruvarur

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUVARUR, NOV.22 . There is a good potential for development of a sizable portion of cultivable waste and other fallow land in Tiruvarur district with suitable horticultural crops as per the potential-linked credit plan for Tiruvarur district for 2005-2006.

According to K. Palanisamy, Assistant General Manager, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, which prepared the plan, the district has about 3,469 hectares of current fallow land and 5893 hectares of other fallow land. It also has 15,100 hectares of saline/alkaline area, of which about 600 to 1000 hectares is being reclaimed annually. `A portion of this reclaimed land can be used for development of suitable horticultural crops, which are relatively salt tolerant such as tamarind and amla.

The area under plantation and horticulture crops is a mere 5800 hectares, accounting for about 3.7 per cent of the cultivated area. Of this, perennial oilseed crops, i.e., coconut and oil palm, on about 4626 hectares and 57 hectares respectively constitute 82 per cent. Fruits, vegetables, spices, condiments, betel vine and flowers are grown on 692 hectares, 173 hectares, 55 hectares and 15 hectares respectively.

As no State horticulture farm is set up in the district, the required materials are procured from farms located at Aduthurai and Marunkulam in Thanjavur district. There are two horticultural nurseries in the private sector — one each in Singankulam (Mannargudi block) and Tiruvarur, whose production capacity is very small.

There are 95 collection centres in the State for various horticulture and plantation produce including 30 regulated markets. `None of the collection centre is located in Tiruvarur district. However, Thanjavur district has three centres at Pattukottai for coconut, Kumbakonam for jasmine and Thanjavur for capsicum.'

Potential exists for increasing the area under cultivation of jasmine as the demand for flowers is mainly met from other nearby districts. He said that medicinal plants like aswagantha, nithya kalyani and aloe vera could be cultivated successfully.

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