Tamil Nadu would become a model agricultual destination for teams from other countries to visit and study its development, in the near future, considering the top priority government was giving to the sector, Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Tuesday.
Day is not far when delegations from other developed and developing nations would visit Tamil Nadu to learn the success of the State in the sector and to study the adoption of newer technologies, he said.
A high level delegation from the state had gone to Israel, which was facing land and water crisis, to study development in agricultural sector, he said.
He was speaking after declaring open the Centenary building in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here built at a cost of Rs eight crore.
Stating that DMK government headed by M Karunanidhi was giving top priority to the sector, by introducing various schemes, including crop loans at lesser interest rates and also crop insurance, he said the second file the chief minister had signed immediately after being sworn in 2006, was that of waiving Rs.7,000 crore agricultural loans.
Agricultural Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam said failure to develop sophisticated agricultural implements led to import of these equipment from Japan, China, Korea and Australia and urged TNAU scientists to come out with newer technologies for benefit of the farming community.
He released 11 crop varities and four implements as part of State Farmers’ day organised by TNAU.
Though TNAU has succeeded in releasing nearly 450 varieties and over 140 agricultural implements over a period of time, it has not met with total success on designing more useful implements for the benefit of farmers, Mr. Arumugam said.
Considering this, scientists and Vice-Chancellor of the University should take special attention to come out with newer technologies in engineering field, so that farmers could be benefited and generate good income, he said.
He also appealed to the farming community to adopt developing technologies for better farming practice in view of the shortage of labour and water across the State.
