Cultivated area exceeds target set for Tuticorin

Collector R. Palaniyandi has said that the area covered under millets and pulses cultivation in the district had exceeded the targets set for the current financial year by December itself.

Chairing a meeting of Agriculture Production Committee (APC) here on Thursday, he said that a total of 48,935 hectares was brought under millet cultivation between April 1 and December 31 against the target of 47,580 ha envisaged, and pulses were raised on 54,934 ha against 25,000 ha.

Of the 48,935 ha brought under millets category, `cholam' was raised on 6,915 ha, `cumbu' on 16,027 ha, maize on 11,043 ha, ragi on 161 ha, `fodder-cholam' on 14,059 ha and other millets on 720 ha.

On other crops, he said that 20,459 ha was brought under paddy against the target of 23,000 ha, and 5,737 ha under cotton against the target of 12,000 ha.

Similarly, 6,120 ha was brought under oilseeds category against the target of 7,000 ha. Of this, 2,067 ha was brought under groundnuts, 2,864 ha under gingelly, 1,090 ha under sunflower and 99 ha under castor.

To increase the yield, the district administration distributed certified seeds of paddy (202.58 tonnes), millets (24.94 tonnes), pulses (56.48 tonnes), cotton (12.42 tonnes) and oilseeds (30.65 tonnes), at subsidised rates during the first nine months of the current fiscal.

On the performance of allied departments, he said that a total of 1,525 ha was brought under the Command Area Development Scheme, implemented by the Department of Agricultural Engineering, at the end of third quarter, to ensure improved agricultural activities with efficient water management.

S. Subramanian, Joint-Director of Agriculture, Sundaram Pillai, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Gandhirajan, Personal Assistant ( Agriculture) to the Collector, and Ramasamy, Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies, were present.

Later, the Collector looked into the complaints of farmers at a grievance day meeting at the Collectorate.

Source: The Hindu