Horticulture being promoted as good alternative in Tiruvarur

 

 

There is a lot of potential for raising horticulture crops profitably in Tiruvarur district. Vegetable crops cultivation has picked up and micro irrigation techniques have come in handy for those farmers, District Collector M. Mathivanan said here on Wednesday.

The Collector along with the Joint Director of Agriculture Mayilvahanan and Deputy Director of Horticulture Suresh Kumar inspected integrated vegetable farms in Melanagai and Keezhanagai villages in Tiruvarur district on Wednesday and sought to know from the growers the market potential for vegetables.

The Collector said there were plans to raise horticulture crops on over 1,000 hectares in Tiruvarur district this year. Emphasis would be on improving the micro irrigation potential in the district. Banana, mango, guava, and jack fruit were raised on more than 400 hectares while on another 400 hectares, vegetables were being raised.

On 20 hectares of land, jasmine was being raised while green chillies and capsicum too were grown. Besides, bamboo and casuarinas were grown in Tiruvarur district, Mr. Mathivanan said, pitching for propagation of the benefits of micro irrigation techniques among the horticulture farmers. Agriculture with micro irrigation techniques was the best way to conserve water, he said.

There was immense potential for horticulture crops in Tiruvarur, Mannargudi, Nidamangalam, Valangaiman, and Kudavasal areas of the district. Union and State governments had many schemes going in the district to encourage horticulture, he said.

The Collector said that marketing facilities for the vegetables being grown in the district were aplenty. The Department of Horticulture would extend all facilities to those who take up vegetable cultivation, he added.

Source : The Hindu