In commemoration of the 105th birth anniversary of C. Subramaniam, architect of the Green Revolution and founder of the National Agro Foundation (NAF), a joint project of the Tamil Nadu Banana Producers Company Limited and NAF is to be signed on January 30 at the foundation's Centre for Rural Development at Illedu village, Choonampet, Kanchipuram district.
The banana producers company comprises about 50 grower societies and producer groups, covering 14 banana-growing districts. One thousand banana farmers in the State are shareholders of the company.
“The company will facilitate grower societies to establish post-harvest pack house facilities in production centres to evolve a business model to standardise the banana marketing that will reduce the post-harvest losses of fruits and improve the farm revenue. The company will also market the value-added products from banana from its member groups,” says A.P. Karuppiah, chairman of the company.
The tissue culture laboratory at the Foundation’s R&D centre will make collaborative efforts with interested stakeholders to propagate these traditional varieties that can be used / marketed by the Banana Producer Company Limited.
Around 500 farmers from different parts of the State are expected to attend this programme, to be held at the Centre for Rural Development.
S.S. Rajsekhar, Managing Trustee of the Foundation, says the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and the Foundation will jointly implement another project in Villupuram district with the support of the State Planning Commission, covering about 40 villages.
Called lean farming, the project will be inaugurated by Rajesh Lakhoni, IAS, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu.
