TN to get 10 horticulture farms; plans to rope in agricultural scientists

Chennai: In an attempt to provide farmers with access to low budget seedlings, the horticulture department has commenced a project of adding ten farms in various districts of the state.

While work on five of them have commenced, the department is yet to start the work on the other five farms proposed in the districts of Thiruvarur, Tiruppur, Tiruvannamalai, Ramanathapuram and Villupuram.

The state has 56 horticulture farms, with Erode topping the list with 20. One such farm is located at Madhavaram in Chennai. Pagudampalyam in Erode, Vengalam in Perambalur, Vannikonendai in Tirunalveli, Keelapaluvur in Ariyalur and Vanduvancheri in Nagapattinam are places in the five districts where work has commenced. Officials assured that the five farms would be completed by March 2018.

The department supplies high yielding variety seedlings at a cheap price to the farms, thus reducing the hassles for the farmer. "We purchase the seeds from private companies and develop the seedlings. Thus, the farmer is saved from having to search for good variety seeds and water consumption during the procedure of the development of a seedling," said the Executive Engineer from the department of horticulture and plantation crops.

Each centre has been proposed with a budget of Rs 1.5 crore and is to be spread over 25 acres. A horticulture officer who monitors the farm helps in the choice of vegetables. “We grow the saplings in trays that are cost cutting and reusable. Saplings of most of the vegetables are available at the centres,” said a horticulture officer from one of the farms in Nilgiris. A seedling costs around Rs 1, which would otherwise take more than Rs 2 for a farmer to purchase and irrigate.

The department is also planning to rope in scientists from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, for the supply of certified high yielding variety seeds. Senior officials from the department feel that the move would make the programme, more effective. “It is effective than depending on the private companies for seeds,” said the executive engineer.