A unique Automated Seed Vending Machine has been commissioned at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Yethapur town near here on Wednesday.
This machine is second such facility to be commissioned in the State.
Already this facility was commissioned on the TNAU main campus in Coimbatore last year.
The commissioning of this facility would enable farmers and other consumers to have easy access to quality vegetable and flower seeds and would give a boost to kitchen garden and roof garden.
Minister for State Highways and Minor Ports Edappadi K. Palanisamy commissioned this facility on the research station premises in the presence of V. Sampath, District Collector, K. Kamaraj, MP, S. Manikkam, Professor and Head, Tapioca and Castor Research Station and M. Maheswaran, Director of Research, TNAU, Coimbatore. The machine would facilitate the availability of packets of vegetable and flower seeds to the farmers round-the-clock.
Flower seeds
The packets of vegetable and flower seeds weighing 10 grams to 100 grams would be stacked inside the machine through the transparent glass door.
The machine would be kept refrigerated to avoid spoiling of seeds.
After inserting the Rs. 10, the customer should press the respective button of the seed he wants and the packet would be released by the machine into collection box.
This was specifically for the benefit of the people desiring to grow popular vegetables within limited space at home.
As the Tapioca and Castor Research Station has been situated on Salem – Ulundurpettai section of the National Highways No. 68, the people could easily collect the seeds, a release of the centre said.
10 more machines
The TNAU has proposed to install ten more seed vending machines - two machines in Chennai city and one each in Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Madurai, Theni, Tirunelveli, Salem and Tiruvannamalai districts, during the current year, the release added.
