Special attention on technology transfer to farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture has been paying special attention on transfer of technology to farmers for increase in yield and their income, said O.P. Dhahiya, Director, Farm Information, Ministry of Agriculture, here on Tuesday at the Southern Regional Agricultural Fair and State-level Farmers’ Day 2015.

At the inauguration at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he said that the Government was keen on strengthening extension services to provide maximum benefit to farmers.

To transfer technology and strengthen extension services, the Ministry encouraged conduct of training programmes, regional fairs, publications, exhibitions and production of films.

C. Rajendran, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu, said that the Government’s motto was to double production and triple farmers’ income.

The Government laid emphasis on value addition and establishment of storage facilities, he added.

He congratulated the Vice-Chancellor of the University for being adjudged the best Vice-Chancellor among the heads of the 32 State Agriculture Universities in the country.

K. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, said that the University organised regional fairs with the objective of helping farmers know the latest in technology and the scientists and extension workers understand the farmers’ need.

In Tamil Nadu, though 11 districts in the last year and 31 in the year before were declared drought hit, food grain production in the State stood at 113 lakh metric tonne.

The State introduced the high-yielding ‘Co 8’ green gram variety with 55-day duration to combat the drought and that propelled the State to the number one position in pulses production, the Vice-Chancellor said.