State Level Farmers Day

Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam (third right) handing over new crop varieties to S. Kosalaraman, Commissioner, Agriculture (left), on ‘State Level Farmers Day’ at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on Wednesday. Mechanisation and use of technologies will help overcome the labour shortage, Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam said here on Wednesday.

Addressing farm workers at the State Level Farmers’ Day at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), he urged them to make use of the subsidy given by the Government to buy mechanised implements. “Recently the Chief Minister disbursed subsidy for buying 25 harvesting implements. Other mechanised implements like seed implanter and sugarcane harvester which are in use in China and Japan will be modified and the harvester will be distributed to each of the 17 co-operative sugar mills,” he said.

Pointing out that TNAU had so far introduced 408 crop varieties, 115 implements and 42 management technologies, the Minister said: “This year eight new crop varieties, four new implements and five new technologies have been added to this list.” He urged the farmers to make use of the new introductions to increase food production. Referring to the huge losses incurred by co-operative sugar mills, the Minister said Rs. 925 crore would be invested in co-generation to supplement the electricity needs to the extent of 185 MW.Vice-Chancellor C. Ramasamy said with globalisation and more job opportunities, agricultural labour has become dearer. “This, coupled with water shortage and soil losing its nutrients, makes it a challenge to take agriculture forward.”

He recommended the use of technologies and implements to tide over the problem. “In addition to various technologies, adopting fertigation and integrated pest management techniques are required for enhancing food production.” The Vice-Chancellor urged farmers not only to think of production, but also of marketing, to ensure good returns. He also assured them of the safety of genetically modified seeds and crops, quoting the example of Bt cotton. Khadi Minister K. Ramachandran, Collector V. Palanikumar, Agriculture Department Commissioner S. Kosalaraman, and Joint Director of Agriculture, Coimbatore, D. Nandagopal, spoke.

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