Adapting to the recent technologies in paddy cultivation, farmers in Karur district have embraced the system of rice intensification (SRI) method of rice cultivation, rechristened as Rajaran 1000. Officials hope to bring 50 per cent of the paddy cultivation under the Rajarajan 1000 system during the current season. The normal area covered under paddy in the district is 16,000 hectares.
Paddy is cultivated in samba and navarai seasons and samba crops account for close to 95 per cent of the paddy cultivated in Karur district, irrigated chiefly by Rivers Cauvery and Amaravathy.
Like elsewhere paddy farmers in Karur district were constrained by the costs incurred for seeds, agricultural inputs, pesticides, fertilizers and nutrients and the resultant cost of cultivation weighed more with farmerscompared to the value of their produce . During 2008-09 around 2,800 hectares were brought under the system of rice intensification while during the subsequent year it reached the 6,000 hectare mark, against a target of 6,800 hectares. Around 2,500 farmers were extended agricultural assistance under the SRI method in 2008-09 and another 6,579 farmers benefited during the next year.
For the current year 8,000 hectares has been fixed as the target for paddy cultivation under Rajaran 1000 and more than 3,033 hectares have been covered already. The balance 5,000 hectares will be covered during November when the transplanting would be at its peak, according to the Joint Director of Agriculture, S.Jagadeesan.
Blockwise coverage under the Rajarajan 1000 in the district shows that an estimated 2,000 hectares in Kulithalai, 783 hectares in Thogamalai, 110 hectares in Kadavur, 75 hectares in K.Paramathy, 30 hectares in Karur, 25 hectares in Krishnarayapuram and 10 hectares in Thanthoni blocks have been brought under the scheme. The target for Kulithalai block has been exceeded while other blocks needed to shore up their performance.
The Integrated Cereal Development Programme (ICDP) and the National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP) have been dovetailed to also benefit farmers under the Rajarajan 1000 scheme, under which cono weeders, markers and agricultural inputs are being distributed. While ICDP will benefit 300 farmers, the NADP will cover 600 farmers Mr.Jagadeesan said .
