Several challenges lie in the task of realising the DMK government’s goals of transforming 11.75 lakh hectares of fallow lands into productive lands and doubling the double-cropped area, in 10 years, say veteran agricultural experts and farmers.
Pointing out that the goals can be realised, they feel the key to success lies in drawing up a comprehensive plan and “sustained interest” of the authorities in implementing the plan. In view of the scarcity of water in the State, the thrust should consistently be on raising crops like pulses, millets and oilseeds, all of which consume less water and are more nutritious than paddy and sugarcane. Greater facilities for processing, value addition and marketing should be provided to the farmers than what is currently available.
Stressing the need for enhanced production of pulses, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) says the crop can be raised by adopting rain gun irrigation along with the available moisture in the soil due to rainfall. Line sowing and the use of multi-purpose seed drill, which places seed, fertilizer and mulch simultaneously, resulting in about 50% cost reduction, can be followed. Considering the sheep population of nearly 4.8 million in the State, there is enormous scope for making use of other fallow lands (which remain unutilised for up to five years) and “culturable waste” (where there is no cultivation for over five years) for livestock farming alongside crop farming, he says.
A retired civil servant says that while attempting to bring new areas under cultivation, especially in dry lands, the authorities should draw lessons from what happened in Rajasthan, which suffered waterlogging and salinity following the implementation of the Indira Gandhi canal project. As regards marketing, the authorities should make all farmers tech-savvy for updating themselves on the market situation and planning their activity accordingly.
K. Ramasamy, another former TNAU Vice-Chancellor, says farmers should take to raising vegetables and fruits in a big way. The model of the Philippines, which has emerged as a major exporter of the horticulture crops, can be replicated by Tamil Nadu by utilising the proposed areas for the purpose of production, which will be followed by strict monitoring of quality control, value addition and packaging, he adds.
V. Sathyanarayanan, a veteran farmer from Tiruvarur district, says the government should think of ways to use the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for farm work. Arupathy Kalyanam, of Mayiladuthurai, says the State government can revamp several subsidy schemes so that the cash assistance for every farmer goes up by ₹3,000 every quarter, over and above what is given under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme. K.M. Rama Gounder, of Krishnagiri district, says the government should liberalise the norms for the coverage of agriculturists under drip irrigation.
Published - August 17, 2021 01:28 am IST
