Ramnad farmers raise seed farms on 604 hectares

Despite failure of crops throughout the district last season due to failure of north-east monsoon, farmers have raised seed farms on 604 hectares and helped the Department of Seed Certification and Organic Certification to procure processed seeds of paddy, millets and oilseeds.

While crops withered in the majority of areas, including the fertile Thiruvadanai block, farmers raised the seed farms in some water potential areas and helped the departments to procure 220 metric tonnes of processed paddy seeds, 2.5 metric tonnes of millets and minor millets and 10 metric tonnes of oilseeds.

Seed samples drawn from the processed seeds were sent to seed testing laboratory in Paramakudi and after the receipt of seed analytical report and certification, the processed seeds were given ‘certified seed tags’ at the seed processing centres in Paramakudi and Thiru Uthirakosamangai.

On Friday, R. Harivasan, Joint Director of Agriculture, and S.S. Shaiek Abdullah, Assistant Director of Seed Certification, inspected the certified seed tagging process at Thiru Uthirakosamangai near here. Seed certification officer Ponnusamy and Seed Processing Centre Managing Officer Meena were present with them.

Mr. Abdullah said the farmers were trained to use seed drill sowing, bio-fertiliser seed treatment and balanced use of nutrients while raising the seed farms.

The certified seeds would be made available in all the agriculture extension centres for distribution to farmers for cultivation in the coming season, he said.

The Agriculture Department would make arrangements to supply the balanced quantity of certified seeds, he added.