Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin   

More area for paddy cultivation

Tuticorin: The Department of Agriculture plans to bring 21,000 hectares in the district under paddy cultivation during this financial year, an increase of 16 per cent over last fiscal, and augment the productivity to 13 tonne per hectare vis-À-vis 6.5 tonnes/ha achieved last fiscal.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Monday, C. Gandhirajan, Joint Director of Agriculture, said that to accomplish the targets, a campaign would be undertaken to popularise the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) technique of cultivation in all the 12 blocks irrespective of being rain fed or irrigated regions.

“We are expecting to bring 7,000 ha under paddy during kar season itself (April to September) against 4,086 ha covered during corresponding period last fiscal,” he said.

To popularise the SRI methodology, the department would set up 120 demonstration plots in as many number of villages spread equally over 12 blocks, on a cluster basis.

Each cluster would have 10 ha of contiguous paddy fields.

Apart from this, five more demonstration plots would be laid in Srivaikundam, Seiduganallur, Thenthiruperai and Tiruchendur blocks under a scheme of Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), a society formed of different stakeholders in agriculture in the district.

He said that adoption of SRI techniques would avoid trauma to the roots, reduce chaffy grains and improve soil health through biological activity. Wider spacing provided between each hill on which the seedling was planted, would make the weed management easier.

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