TIRUNELVELI
After South-west and North-east monsoons shattered the hopes of farmers who faced unprecedented crop loss last year, Agriculture Department has made plans for introducing Centrally-funded Mission on Sustainable Dry Land Agriculture in the district to augment production of minor millets and pulses.
As the 11 reservoirs in the district has only 1,050 mcft (7.60%) of water against the total capacity of 13,765 mcft, and all the 2,518 irrigation tanks – 1,221 systemised and 1,297 non-systemised tanks – are dry, the livelihood of farmers and farmhands have almost been wiped out.
Against this backdrop, the department has proposed to implement the mission with the objective of increasing the production of minor millets and pulses.
The department has planned to implement the scheme on 12,500 acres in five blocks this year and on 25,000 acres next year.
According to M. Kanagaraj, Joint Director of Agriculture, Tirunelveli, cultivation of minor millets and pulses on 37,500 acres in 15 blocks would be encouraged.
While 2,500 acres in Alangulam block and 5,000 acres in Melaneelithanallur block would be brought under pulses and minor millets cultivation this year.
Similarly, 2,500 acres each in Sankarankovil and Kadayanallur blocks would get a new lease of life under this scheme this year.
“Village-level farmers’ groups have been formed and accounts opened for each group in Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society concerned so that the subsidy entitled for cultivation of each crop can be paid in the groups’ accounts directly. The block-level committee will monitor the functioning of the groups and take measures to rectify their functioning,” Mr. Kanagaraj said.
Every farmer in the group would get ₹500 as ploughing subsidy per acre and seeds, bio-fertilizers and pesticides at 50% subsidy. “Moreover, the beneficiaries will be guided in adding value to their produce and selling the value-added products through marketing society,” he said.
Plans were afoot to construct check-dams in each beneficiary block so that the farmers could make use of the water for raising crops. The check-dams would also improve groundwater table.
The Department of Agricultural Engineering has been entrusted with the job of identifying spots for constructing check-dams. “We’ve almost finalised the sites and the work is on,” Mr. Kanagaraj said.
Since the officials attached to the Departments of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Cooperation and Animal Husbandry will have to guide the members of village-level farmers’ groups, the officials have been trained.
