The Agriculture Department has launched a new centrally sponsored project, Rainfed Agriculture Development Programme (RADP), in Tiruchi district aimed at encouraging farmers in rain-fed areas to go in for pulses cultivation immediately after a paddy crop.
About 500 hectares (ha) in rainfed areas in nine blocks of the district would be covered under the project implemented under the National Agriculture Development Programme.
Farmers would be extended a subsidy of 25 per cent of the total cultivation cost of Rs.40,000 a ha.
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The project was launched at Chinna Illupur, a tribal hamlet in the Pachamalai hills in Thuraiyur block on Monday by T.Indira Gandhi, MLA, in the presence of T.Rajathi, chairperson, District Panchayat, and J.Sekar, Joint Director of Agriculture.
A maximum area of 100 ha each would be covered in the tribal areas of Pachamalai in Thuraiyur and Uppilliyapuram blocks in the district under project.
The remaining area would be covered in Musiri, Mannachanallur, Marungapuri, Pullambadi, Mannaparai, Vaiyampatti and Thottiyam blocks.
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“Normally farmers in rainfed areas in the district leave the field fallow after a paddy crop. The project aims to encourage them to go in for pulses soon after (the paddy crop), utilising the moisture content in the soil,” R.Chandrasekaran, Deputy Director of Agriculture (central schemes), Tiruchi, told The Hindu .
The subsidy would be given to the selected farmers in the form of farm inputs. Farmers would be given seeds, fertilizers, bio fertilizers, micro nutrients, weedicides and plant protection chemicals.
The project, to be implemented at a total outlay of Rs.77.82 lakhs, would also aim to achieve an increase of 30 per cent yield in pulses. Forty-nine vermi compost units would be established under the project.
The units would be established with 50 per cent subsidy of Rs.30,000 each to improve the organic soil content in the project areas.
Seed farms to produce high quality yielding variety seed of pulses and oilseeds would be established covering a total area of 50 ha, 20 ha for pulses seeds and 30 ha for oilseeds.
For each farm, 50 per cent subsidy would be given to farmers to the tune of Rs.10,000 a ha.
The farm inputs were distributed to the beneficiaries by Ms.Indira Gandhi at a simple ceremony to launch the project.
Mr.Sekar explained to farmers the technologies to be adopted for achieving higher yield in dry land agriculture.
Mr.Chandrasekaran elaborated on the objectives of the project and appealed to the farmers to avail themselves of the assistance extended to them. Pon.Kamaraj, chairman, Thuraiyur Panchayat Union, and S.Rajasekaran, Assistant Director, Agriculture, Thuraiyur, were present.