Latest news with #HorticultureDepartment
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Development of Pollachi Coconut Cluster by National Horticulture Board at a cost of ₹250 crore on anvil
The Horticulture Department has unveiled a ₹250-crore Central government project for development of Pollachi Coconut Cluster, entailing ₹100-crore subsidy, under three verticals: pre-production and production; post-harvest management and value addition; and logistics, marketing and branding. The project is to be implemented under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) of National Horticulture Board, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. Entities eligible for becoming Implementing Agency (ies) include Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs/ FPCs) and their federations, cooperatives/societies, partnership firms, proprietorship firms, companies, State Agriculture and Marketing Boards and Federations and other Public Sector entities of Central/State Governments. The Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency (TANHODA), as the Cluster Development Agency (CDA) has invited proposals for implementation of Cluster Development Programme for Pollachi Coconut Cluster through online portal ( before June 25, 2025. The information was shared by the Deputy Director of Horticulture P. Siddharthan with a gathering of farmers at the start of the agriculture grievances redress meeting chaired by the District Collector Pawankumar G. Giriyappanavar on Friday. Further information on the programme and on the procedure for submitting the 'Call for Proposals' could be sourced from the websites: and Mr. Siddharthan said guidance could be obtained from Assistant Directors of Horticulture at Anamalai (Ph.9865905505), Pollachi North (9488226159) and Pollachi South (9443059186) The Union Ministry has identified 55 horticulture clusters of which Pollachi is one among the 12 clusters selected for pilot launch. The Pollachi Coconut Cluster falls under the mega category of cluster, based on the area parameter - more than 15,000 hectares - for financial assistance up to ₹100 crore. Earlier in the day, a mobile soil testing station sanctioned for Coimbatore under National Agriculture Development Programme was flagged off by the District Collector. The mobile soil testing laboratory costing ₹ 75 lakh will be utilised to conduct 12 camps per month - three per week - at villages, Joint Director of Agriculture Krishnaveni said. Through the camps, farmers will be provided with guidance to utilise fertilizers suiting the soil conditions for increasing crop yield and return on investment. Soil health cards will be provided to the farmers on the very day of testing. A fee of ₹ 30 will be charged for each sample analysis. Villages brought under Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme (KAVIADP) will be accorded priority.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
First Plantation Show inaugurated in the Nilgiris
The first-ever Plantation Show was inaugurated as part of the final event of the annual summer festival in the Nilgiris at Kattery Park near Coonoor on Friday. Despite the inclement weather, the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops set up exhibits showcasing traditional lifestyles of farming communities from across Tamil Nadu, with thousands of tourists also visiting the park on their way to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. The Horticulture Department said the plantation show was organised to showcase the tea and coffee industries in the Nilgiris and also to highlight the scope for growing plantation crops such as cashews, coconut, palmyra, cocoa, oil palm, and areca nut to farmers. Plantation crops were used in exhibits that portrayed the lifestyle of villagers engaged in farming and agriculture. Cultural events were also organised as part of the plantation show, with the department announcing that awards and prizes will be distributed to farmers growing plantation crops under four different categories at the completion of the show on Sunday (June 1, 2025). This year, the plantation show will signal the end of the summer festival season in the Nilgiris. Nilgiris Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru and District Superintendent of Police N.S. Nisha were present at the inaugural event. Tourist spots reopen Following the easing of rain, which had affected parts of Udhagamandalam, Gudalur, Kundha and Coonoor, in the Nilgiris over the last week, the Forest Department announced the reopening of a few tourist spots in Coonoor on Friday, with Lamb's Rock and Dolphin's Nose being among them. The district administration said an average of 30 mm of rain was recorded from Thursday evening to Friday morning across the Nilgiris.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Call to increase area under natural farming
Eluru: District collector K Vetriselvi has directed the agricultural officers to increase the area under organic farming in the district. On Thursday, she conducted a whirlwind tour in Dwaraka Tirumala, Gundugolanu Kunta, Suryachandra Rao Peta and other villages in Dwaraka Tirumala mandal and inspected the farming methods of agriculture and allied sectors. She started with inspection of the farm ponds in Dwaraka Tirumala. Later, the collector visited Sri Subrahmanyeshwara Organic Farming Resource Centre in Gundugolanu Kunta village and inspected the vegetables and fruit gardens being cultivated with organic farming in the natural farming field of model farmer Obilisetty Gopalakrishnamurthy. The collector enquired about the organic materials like Panchagavya used for cultivation from farmer Gopalakrishnamurthy. On this occasion, Collector Vetriselvi said that people are prone to diseases due to the use of chemical fertilizers, and that the yield of crops grown through natural farming using organic fertilizers has the potential to increase people's health and lifespan. She said that the target of cultivating crops through natural farming should be increased by another 10,000 acres in the district this year. Central and state governments are encouraging farmers practicing natural farming. The agricultural authorities should take steps to ensure that farmers take advantage of them and practice natural farming in more areas. The paddy and horticultural products cultivated through natural farming are getting good prices, and the authorities should take special care to provide more marketing facilities for them. The collector congratulated Gopalakrishnamurthy saying that it is a great thing to cultivate 25 types of vegetables and fruit products in just half an acre of land using organic fertilizers like Panchagavya, prepare organic fertilizers, and provide training to other farmers on natural farming. Later, the cultivation of coconut, yam, banana and pepper was inspected at Balusu Veerabhadraiah Kshetra in Suryachandra Rao Pet. The collector congratulated the farmer for growing cocoa as an intercrop with banana. She said that the cocoa farmers should not worry and that the government has taken steps to purchase the entire cocoa crop from the farmers at Rs 500 per kg of cocoa. Later, the Collector along with the officials sowed fodder seeds in the field. The collector was accompanied by Jangareddygudem RDO Ramana, Agriculture Department Joint Director Habib Bhasha, DWMA PD Subba Rao, Horticulture Department DD Rammohan, Micro Irrigation Project Director Ravikumar, Natural Agriculture District Project Manager Venkatesh, Tahsildar Subba Rao, MPDO Prakash, and others.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
Urgent need for processing units as cherry harvesting picks up in Himachal
As cherry harvesting is in full swing, horticulturists as well as farmers in upper Shimla region see an urgent need for fruit processing units at village level to protect the crops from the impact of unpredictable weather conditions. Cherry growers are getting good prices for their crops ranging between Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 per box (each weighing between 400 and 650 grams). However, they often have to struggle with logistics issues while sending the crops to the markets due to sudden change in weather conditions. According to experts, setting up small-scale processing units at local level will help farmers in getting their crops processed quickly. Cherry is considered a high-value fruit crop in Himachal Pradesh in the months of April and May but due to short shelf life, timely transportation of produce to the market becomes important. At present, about 500 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh are under Cherry cultivation which adds up to Rs 200 crore to the state's economy. Cherries are perished quickly if not stored after harvesting, and the crops have to be transported to the market at the earliest to fetch remunerative prices, says Sanjay Chauhan, subject expert in the Horticulture Department. Farmers should ensure proper grading and harvest when the fruit is fully ripe, he added. The cherry harvest is at its peak but frequent weather disruptions lead to delay in transportation. At least, proper storage will help farmers in takcling weather-related challenges, said Bihari Sayogi, President of the Farmers and Orchardists' Union. "We urge the government to install small-scale processing plants in rural areas so that produce can be preserved and processed locally," he added. The harvesting has started two weeks back, but erratic weather conditions are affecting the quality of the crop, said Chunni Lal, a cherry grower. Cherry needs quick processing, for which establishing local processing units becomes essential, said Vivek Kapoor, another grower from Bhattyi Kotgarh.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Climate
- Hans India
Cashew farmers in TN's Nagapattinam face 50 pc yield loss due to unseasonal rains, pests
Chennai: Cashew farmers in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district are grappling with a significant decline in yield this season, with losses estimated between 40 per cent and 50 per cent. Cashew is cultivated on over 5,000 acres in the district, but unseasonal rains, combined with widespread pest infestations, have severely impacted the crop across major cultivation zones such as Vedaranyam and Keezhaiyur. Farmers say this year's setback is particularly distressing as the region had only recently begun to recover from the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Gaja in 2018. "After Cyclone Gaja, it took us several years to restore our cashew plantations. Just as yields were beginning to show promise again, this season has delivered another blow," farmer Saravanan K.R. said. "Due to the rains and pest attacks, the flowers, fruits, and even leaves are turning black. Despite using fertilisers, nearly half the yield is gone,' he added. Market rates this year are considered favourable, with cashew fruits selling at Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kg and cashew nuts at Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg. However, the reduced output means most farmers are unable to benefit from the price advantage. "Even though the prices are good, the low volume of harvest is cutting into our profits," Saravanan said. Officials from the Horticulture Department have acknowledged the crisis. "We have been guiding farmers on the timely use of fertilisers and recommending preventive measures. But the recent unseasonal rainfall has worsened the pest situation, making it harder to control," a department official said. Experts note that the combination of excess moisture and lack of adequate pest control has accelerated the spread of fungal and insect infestations, particularly affecting flowering and fruit-bearing stages. Farmer groups in the region have urged the state government to conduct crop damage assessments and provide immediate relief to affected growers. They also requested the introduction of weather-based crop insurance schemes specifically designed for horticultural crops like cashew, which are highly sensitive to climatic shifts.
