The State promoted liquid bio-fertilizer, which is considered as an effective alternative to the lignite based bio-fertilizer, has hit the markets in different parts of the State.
The decision of the State government to supply it to farmers of six Delta districts including Tiruchi, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur for raising paddy cultivation in 1 lakh acres under the Kuruvai special package scheme is expected to popularise the usage of liquid bio-fertilizer.
The State owned production units in Salem, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Cuddalore and Sakkottai have been asked to step up the productionas the demand may go beyond 50,000 litres in areas where kuruvai paddy is cultivated.
“We have already started receiving supplies from our production units and expected to be widely used for raising paddy during the Kuruvai season in Delta district,” K. Selvaraj, Deputy Director of Agriculture told The Hindu on Sunday.
The government had planned to distribute the liquid bio-fertilizer at free of cost to most of the farmers, who had been listed as beneficiaries under the Kuruvai special package scheme.
Mr. Selvaraj said that the fertilizer was being manufactured with the technical support of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Though many States were yet to commence the production, Tamil Nadu government-owned units had already hit the markets. The micro organisms in the bio-fertilizer would restore the natural nutrients in the soil organism thus enhancing and sustaining the soil health.
The shelf life of the product is 12 to 24 months as against 6 months of lignite-based bio-fertilizer.
