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The Hindu
4 days 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.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Time of India
MangoMisu, salad: Aam dishes to relish this summer
With mango season having begun, top restaurants in the country are already devising novel and special dishes aiming to sweep gastronomes off their feet. And the choices are plentiful: Alphonso for its taste, Imam Pasand for its sweetness, Kesar for its fragrance, and more. India loves mangoes – the quintessential summer fruit is consumed round the year in various forms — desserts, salads, pickles, etc. And it does help that our country is the top producer of mangoes. With mango season having begun, top restaurants in the country are already devising novel and special dishes aiming to sweep gastronomes off their feet. And the choices are plentiful: Alphonso for its taste, Imam Pasand for its sweetness, Kesar for its fragrance, and more. DELICACIES WITH AN ITALIAN TWIST Anand Madhan, partner at an Italian restaurant, says he and his team have come up with an exclusive mango menu featuring salads like rico mango salad and truffle mango burrata salad, and desserts. 'Mango, synonymous with sinful indulgence, also finds its space in Italian cuisine. To celebrate the fruit, we've curated a menu that is limited for the summer season,' he says. 'IMAM PASAND IS A VERY VERSATILE MANGO' Jesu Lambert, executive chef at a Chennai hotel, says his favourite is Imam Pasand. 'While Alphonso, Banganapalli, and Imam Pasand are commonly used, I'd recommend Sindhura, which is known for its innate sweetness. But my favourite is Imam Pasand. I prefer its sweetness and fragrance for culinary use. It is a very versatile variety, as you can use it for both cold and warm dishes, like aamras , sorbet and panna cotta.' Foodies, he says, should try out dishes like the green mango Thai salad, mango burrata salad, mango sticky rice, and mango sushi bites, among others, this season. Alphonso Mango Tres Leches Made with the season's freshest Alphonso, soaked in a rich blend of creamy goodness for the ultimate tropical twist on tres leches, it features moist layers soaked in creamy bliss for a tropical twist on a classic delight. AN ARRAY OF AAM-LICIOUS DESSERTS Chef Ashutosh Nerlekar, director of food production at a star hotel, has selected the king of mangoes, the Alphonso, to create a special dessert — Alphonso mango tres leches — this year. Like him, Janani Kannan, the co-founder and creative chef at a Chennai-based dessert cafe, has created a range of ' aamlicious' dishes, like the MangoMisu, right in time for the mango season this year. All about aam According to the National Horticulture Board (NHB), about 1,500 varieties of mangoes are cultivated in India, which account for about 50 per cent of the world's mango production Major mango-producing states in India: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Nutritional value: The fruit is very popular with the masses due to its high nutritive value, richness in variety, and delicious taste. It is a rich source of vitamins A and C. Good mango varieties contain 20% of total soluble sugars. The acid content of ripe desert fruit varies from 0.2 to 0.5%, and protein content is about 1% Written By: Praveen Kumar S
