Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday advised officials of the State Agriculture Department to supply more equipment required by farmers for the adoption of “Rajarajan 1000” (also known as System of Rice Intensification).
This method of cultivation resulted in higher yield [seven to eight tonnes per hectare]. As of now, 2.43 lakh markers and 3.63 lakh cono weeders had been supplied to the farmers. The extent of coverage achieved under the method was 4.2 lakh hectares in 2007-2008; 5.4 lakh hectares in 2008-2009 and 6.5 lakh hectares in 2009-2010. For the current year, the target was 8.5 lakh hectares. As on September 30, around two lakh hectares were covered, according to an official. The allocation for the implementation of Rajarajan 1000 had gone up from Rs. 4.2 crore to Rs. 29 crore in the last four years.
Those farmers, who were affected by labour shortage and who wanted to buy machines, should be immediately given grant-cum-loan.
He asked the officials to bring more farmers under the crop insurance scheme. Till now, Rs. 944.08 crore was given to 8,61,822 farmers, who were affected by floods and drought, an official release stated. The Chief Minister gave these instructions while reviewing, along with Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam, the working of the Agriculture Department.
S. Malathi, Chief Secretary, and P. Rama Mohan Rao, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) were among those present.
