India: Precision farming, a boon to vegetable farmers in Nellai

To boost the production of vegetables in the district, the Department of Horticulture is all set to launch a heavily subsidised scheme -‘Precision Farming’ here in two cluster villages under Alangulam and Melaneelithanallur blocks.

The scheme would amount to the additional production of 2,000 tonnes in a short span of three to eight months.

It would be inaugurated at Karumpuliyoothu village near Alangulam on March 29. It is expected that Joint Director, Department of Horticulture, Chennai, G Seenu would take part in the inaugural function.

The district received Rs 1.41 crore under this scheme and an area of 105 hectares is to be covered in the two villages under Alangulam and Melaneelithanallur blocks. As many as 105 beneficiaries have been identified.

Each farmer, who has got one hectare of moderate fertile land with a well fitted with a pump capable of propelling out 12,000 litres of water an hour, will contribute 10 percent of the margin amount of Rs 11,500 each per hectare.

The government will bear the remaining 90 percent of Rs 1,15,000 as subsidy, which includes Rs 75,000 for drip and fertigation system installation and Rs 40,000 for cost of cultivation of hybrid vegetables.

All beneficiaries are already being given training at Horticulture Research Station, Paiyoor in Dharmapuri district on drip-cum-fertigation in horticultural crops and on hi-tech horticultural methods by scientists of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University.

Farmers were trained in latest state-of-the-art cultivation techniques, promoting hi-tech horticulture with in-built precision elements and exploitation of promotion of genetic potential of hybrid varieties.

For the implementation of the project, two Junior Research Fellows will be allotted to each cluster and they will work in the respective cluster area to demonstrate and disseminate precision farming components such as organising the farmers, minimising expenses on inputs, using the resources efficiently, gaining maximum productivity and honouring farmers’ commitment to market and consumer.

The farmers are expected to raise five successive crops on their own under the direct supervision of the technocrats, working from the market-end.

In Tirunelveli district, all beneficiary farmers were given the financial assistance through Indian Overseas Bank, Palayamkottai, to the tune of Rs 1.34 crore for the successful implementation of the project in time and the subsidy amount of Rs 1.20 crore was released on Tuesday to the bank by District Collector G Prakash.

Source: newindpress.com