Tamil Nadu - Dindigul   

10,000 hectares to be brought under SRI programme

— PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

CLARIFYING DOUBTS: Collector R. Kirlosh Kumar addressing a farmers grievance day meeting at the Dindigul Collectorate on Friday.

DINDIGUL: A total of 10,000 hectares would be brought under System of Rice Intensification (SRI) programme this season to help farmers get a better yield at lesser production cost. Utilisation of water to raise the crop would also come down sharply, said agriculture officials.

They said this at the farmers’ grievances day meeting presided over by Collector R. Kirlosh Kumar here on Friday. The agriculture officials said that several farmers had shifted to this new system of rice cultivation. The department had 96 tonnes of seeds for this programme.

Even as the existing water storage in dams was sufficient for irrigation, the officials advised farmers to utilise the water judiciously for the kuruvai crop.

Meanwhile, Public Works Department engineers stated that the storage level was 32.5 feet in Palar Porundhalar dam, 26.4 feet in Parappalar dam, 43.47 feet in Varadhamanadhi dam, 48.1 feet in Kudiraiyar dam and 10.8 feet in Kudaganar dam in the district. Moreover, 55 per cent of 94,759 wells in the district had storage that could be pumped for four to six hours a day for irrigation.

Experts said that cultivation of cocoa as an inter crop of coconut would certainly bring fortunes to coconut growers as demand for cocoa is growing every year. Total requirement of cocoa by chocolate and other food industries was around 20,000 tonnes where as the production was mere 9,500 tonnes.

To meet the shortage, manufacturers had been importing 60 per cent of cocoa from Ghana, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia.

In Tamil Nadu, total production of cocoa was just 250 tonnes and area under cultivation roughly 2,500 hectares only. Export of cocoa was also very bright as demand in the US and European Union had been rising exponentially.

Cocoa was also an ideal intercrop for areca nut and oil palm crops. Withered cocoa leaves, rich in potash, would improve organic matter in coconut farm and increase coconut yield.

Moreover, it would prevent soil erosion and weed growth. Cocoa farmers would get at least Rs.20,000 per acre. One tree would give a yield for four decades. Marketing would not be problem for farmers as several manufacturers offered buy-back arrangement, the experts added.

The Collector said that the target for raising cocoa this year was 700 hectares.

Later, he honoured farmers, N. Selvam and V. Kanagarathinam of Natham, and Senthil Kumar of Thoppampatti, who had achieved highest yield in the State.

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