Agri Expo at Suguna kalayana mandapam
A farm implement being demonstrated at the Agri Expo- 2007, the Agricultural, Dairy and Poultry Exhibition, at Suguna Kalyana Mandapam, Coimbatore, on Friday.Assorted varieties of saplings and seedlings at the Suguna Kalyana Mandapam extend a lush green welcome to those visiting the Agri Expo – Agriculture, Dairy and Poultry Exhibition, which opened on Friday. This is not an exclusive exhibition for the farming community, but a treasure trove for all plant lovers. Along with the usual garden plants there is also saplings of sandalwood, teak, coconut, palms, ferns, hedges, etc.. With all kinds of gardening implements available, it is indeed any flora fan’s dream come true. A chunk of space is devoted to agricultural equipment like tractors, mowers and ploughs.There are also big and small pumps that can be used by farmers as well as individuals who have a large expanse of lawn. An interesting find at the expo is the pond liner that can be used to hold artificial ponds in house gardens. Solar electric fences to keep at bay straying animals can be seen displayed at many a stall Many private players, Government departments, as well as the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), have put up stalls. The Department of Sericulture has displayed the process involved in making silk from the silkworms. The stall of TNAU has displayed its “8-row drum seeder for pre-germinated paddy”. “We are promoting this implement that can be used for direct sowing of paddy seeds. We are also promoting the value-addition concepts of curry leaves, like pre-packaging, mechanical stripper and dryer for the leaves, among the farmers.
We want to create awareness about the advantages of soya to the public”, says Dawn Ambrose, Scientist, Regional Centre, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, TNAU.For those seeking knowledge on organic food and farming, there are stalls to show how it is done. Arya, Organic Food Store, has a stall containing various organic processed foods. Then there are the usual home-friendly items one finds in all exhibitions, like knives, cutters, roti makers and juicers. But the highly innovative and energy-effective induction cookers and plastic “murams” are not to be missed. The expo is on till July 2.
