Notwithstanding the fact that the district has received less than the expected rainfall thus far this season, the district administration has made arrangements to help farmers take up cultivation.
A release from the administration quoting Collector T.N. Hariharan’s speech at the monthly farmers’ grievance day meeting said that the district’s average annual rainfall was 651.9 mm and till July it was supposed to be 155.3 mm. But the district had thus far received only 94.7 mm. Farmers had taken up summer cultivation based on the rains received. The target this year for food grain production was 1.50 lakh tonne. To achieve the target, the State Government had initiated several schemes, which the administration was implementing in Coimbatore as well. As per the Government’s guidelines, the administration had stocked 240.89 tonne certified seeds, sold those varieties of paddy seeds that were introduced in the last 10 years at a subsidy of Rs. 10 a kg, sold pulses seeds at Rs. 25 a kg subsidy and had stocked urea, DAP, Potash and mixed fertiliser in sufficient quantity.
Farmers could approach agriculture extension centres for seeds and authorised fertiliser outlets or primary agriculture cooperative societies for fertilisers.
As for horticulture crops were concerned, the district had earmarked Rs. 4.44 crore for the current year and the Horticulture Department was in the process of selecting eligible farmers under various schemes. The release quoting Collector also said that the district administration had disbursed Rs. 1,534 crore as crop loan.
