Agriculture Minister S.Damodaran has instructed officials of the department to ensure that the target of 4.3 lakhs tonnes food grain was achieved without any shortfall.
Chairing a meeting with department officials here, Mr.Damodaran also directed the officials to take steps to increase the area under pulses in the district. He told the officials that allocations made under different schemes of the department should be fully utilised.
The Minister reviewed the implementation of the National Agriculture Development Programme and other schemes in the district.
He also reviewed the seed stock position, seed certification measures, analysis of soil samples and the production of state seed farms. This apart, he also reviewed the schemes implemented by the Agriculture Engineering, Agricultural Marketing and Horticulture departments. J.Sekar, Joint Director of Agriculture, Sundar, Superintending Engineer, Agricultural Engineering, and Gnanasekaran, Deputy Director of Horticulture, and Ravi, District Market Committee, were present.
Campaign
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department has launched a major campaign on DAP (Di-ammonium phosphate) Foliar Spraying in Rice Fallow Pulses in the district. The campaign was inaugurated by Mr.Sekar at a field at Periyakaruppur in Andhanallur block on Tuesday. More than 100 farmers were briefed about the technique and the benefits of spraying DAP.
According to Mr.Sekar said about 15,000 hectares have been covered under ‘rice fallow pulses' (pulses sown on paddy fields a week before harvest) in the district so far. Spraying DAP is one of the important techniques promoted by the department to increase production in pulses
R.Chandrasekaran, Deputy Director of Agriculture (Central Schemes), subsidy would be extended for spraying DAP in about 8,028 hectares under the National Agriculture Development Programme in the district. Farmers would be given to the extent of Rs.250 a hectare. About 100 small and marginal farmers would be given rain guns and an equal number would be provided with mobile sprinklers free of cost under the programme.
Under the National Food Security Mission-Pulses, an incentive of Rs.10 a kg would be given for production of certified seeds. Farmers would also be given a subsidy of Rs.30, 000 for rotovators and Rs.15,000 for laying irrigation pipes for a distance of 800 metres. Bio-fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, weedicides, hand operated sprayers for DAP spraying and micro nutrient mixtures would also be distributed subsidised cost to farmers through agricultural extension centres.
‘Pulse Wonder,' a micro nutrient mixture produced by TNAU, would be distributed at 50 per cent cost to boost the yield in rice fallow pulses as a special scheme by the State government during this year.
