The Horticulture Department has come forward to sanction subsidy-based assistance to a group of nursery growers at Kallukudiyiruppu near Arimalam in recognition of their hard toil in developing and marketing nurseries of various horticultural crops and trees.
A total of 100 villagers of Kallukudiyiruppu – a majority of them reformed bootleggers, have been raising about 60 lakh saplings every year. They are skilled in producing nurseries of various species of ornamental plants, rose wood, red sander, vengai , neem, jack, Ixora, redrose, Edward rose so on and so forth.
Till a decade ago, they were all illicit distillers. Due to timely intervention of service organisations and District Supply and Marketing Society, they were transformed into viable entrepreneurs in nurseries. They produce low-cost nurseries of various trees and plants, each worth Rs. 5 a nursery.
Traders from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka make a beeline to the village. They raise and market silver oak tree saplings, which are used as a shade tree in coffee plantations. The red soil in Arimalam has been a great boon to the villagers to raise different nurseries.
S. Ganesh, Collector, who visited the village on Saturday, assured the villagers of all possible assistance. He listened to their grievances. Led by Adaikalam, one of the leaders who had formed a federation for marketing their produce, they wanted additional bore well to be dug in the area. They wanted special permission for taking soil from adjoining government lands for raising nurseries.
The Collector said that a subsidy-based programme under the National Horticulture Mission would be implemented in the village. A maximum of Rs. 15 lakh with 50 per cent subsidy would be released to the villagers. He assured that steps would be taken for according some concession to them in the power consumption charges which is currently being reckoned at Rs.3 a unit.
S Arunachalam, Deputy Director of Horticulture, said the farmers adopted conventional methodology for raising the nurseries. He would explore the possibility of introducing innovative measures in their trade so that their livelihood could be further enhanced.
