Kuruvai special packageto be completed by July 10

The Agriculture Department plans to distribute inputs among farmers of six Delta districts as part of the Kuruvai special package announced by the State government before July 10 to help them take up cultivation.

The scheme, aimed at motivating farmers to take up Kuruvai cultivation by tapping the groundwater resources because of the delay in the discharge of water from the Mettur reservoir, will cover 1 lakh acres in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalure, and Ariyalur districts.

K.P. Srikumar, Additional Director, Agriculture, Chennai, who is the nodal officer for the scheme in Tiruchi district, told The Hindu on the sidelines of the launch of distribution of inputs to the farmers at Mannachanallur on Sunday that it had been made it clear to the officials to complete distribution of inputs such as bio-fertilizers, liquid bio-fertilizers, micro nutrients, weeding machines, sowing, and planting machines estimated at Rs. 32.95 crore within a few days to facilitate farmers to raise community nurseries.

The government would give subsidy to the tune of Rs. 25,000 an acre for raising community nurseries under the System of Rice Intensification.

The Government had appointed nodal officers for six delta districts to monitor distribution of inputs as per the list of beneficiaries, which had already been prepared.

Meanwhile, T.P. Poonachi, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries, who inaugurated the distribution at Mannachanallur, said that Rs. 1.47 crore had been allocated for the Kuruvai special package in Tiruchi district.

Community nurseries would be raised on 70 acres of land for taking up paddy cultivation under the System of Rice Intensification method.

To increase the productivity, 5 kg of micro nutrients and 10 kg of zinc sulphate each would be supplied to 5,000 acres at 100 per cent subsidy. A total of 4,000 acres had been identified for providing bio-fertilizer and liquid biofertilizers. Paddy planting machines would be given to 20 farm groups at free of cost.

R. Manoharan, Chief Whip, and B. Guru Raj Singh, Joint Director of Agriculture, were present.