Agricultural News

Tirupattur Collector D Baskara Pandian created a nursery in the adjacent area and on Wednesday he entered the muddy field and started planting the seedlings after the mandatory puja before the work TIRUPATTUR: Tirupattur Collector D Baskara Pandian known for his love for nature caused a flutter when he started planting paddy saplings on a half-acre plot in his official quarters recently. “The idea cropped up when I saw half an acre of vacant land inside the official quarters. I sought assistance from the agriculture department to raise paddy in the land,” he told DT Next. With the experience he gained while working on his grandfather’s farm in his native district proved helpful during his latest effort.Pandian created a nursery in the adjacent area and on Wednesday he entered the muddy field and started planting the seedlings after the mandatory puja before the work. As the ground had too much water he said, “I stopped work and told those helping me that the ground had to become slightly firmer before it can allow water to percolate and help the seedlings. Hence for the time being I have put the exercise on hold.” During his earlier stint as Collector of Ranipet, he created a world record – beating Switzerland – by collecting plastic waste in a specific period. Similarly, he also completed collecting and planting Palmyra seeds in various places across the district.

RANIPET: A 14-year-old boy drowned while bathing in an agricultural well near Manthangal Motur, close to Muthukkadai in Ranipet district on Wednesday. Two of his friends, who were found unconscious at the scene, are currently undergoing treatment at the Government Headquarters Hospital in Walajahpet. The deceased has been identified as Omprakash, a Class 9 student, who had ventured to the well with his friends to cool off amid the scorching summer heat during school holidays. According to sources, Omprakash began to struggle while in the water. In an attempt to rescue him, his friends—Mohan Charan (12) and Akhilesh (11)—also entered the well but were overcome by exhaustion. Hearing cries for help, nearby residents rushed to the spot, rescued the boys and immediately shifted them to hospital. Doctors, however, declared Omprakash brought dead. His friends remain under observation. Ranipet police have registered a case and initiated an enquiry into the incident.

Scamsters fraudulently credited central funds to the bank accounts of 5.5 lakh ineligible beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu.A scam amounting to Rs 110 crore was unearthed in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme in Tamil Nadu. Fraudsters allegedly siphoned off crores of rupees, by crediting central funds to the bank accounts of 5.5 lakh ineligible beneficiaries in 13 districts in Tamil Nadu over a period of four months, according to the state government. At least 18 people have been arrested so far.

The district has regulated markets at Ammoor, Kalavai, Timiri, Arakkonam, Nemili, Arcot, and Kaveripakkam.Farmers owning coconut groves in Ranipet district are in a bind as the lack of a regulated markets for their produce is forcing them to sell coconuts to private traders for cheap rates, sources alleged. The district has regulated markets at Ammoor, Kalavai, Timiri, Arakkonam, Nemili, Arcot, and Kaveripakkam. While the Kaveripakkam regulated market is limping along, the Arcot market is closed, while the others see moderate business. However, the problem is that none of these functioning regulated markets can procure copra due to government orders to this effect. Hence farmers in Kavanur and Pudur villages near Arcot town used to travel to Vellore 30 kilometres away with their produce to offload them at the regulated market near the circuit house. Sources said that copra can be procured only by the regulated markets at Vellore, Gudiyattam, Vaniyambadi, and Tirupattur due to the bountiful presence of coconut groves in these districts. However, while the copra procurement limit was fixed at 40 tonnes in Vellore it was 10 tonnes each for the Gudiyattam, Vaniyambadi, and Tirupattur markets.

As the PWD has not desilted any lake or pond in recent times, the demand for alluvial soil, which has required nutrients and allows good water retention in paddy, has increased With the harvest currently in progress, farmers in the Ranipet district are still ignorant of the proper procedure to get alluvial soil for their farms for the next paddy season. “The procedure till two years ago was that we apply to the local VAO, who would then verify the farmers’ bona fides regarding land, the need for alluvial soil, and then pass on the information to revenue department superiors. The revenue officials would then identify an irrigation tank/pond from where farmers can take alluvial soil,” said R Subash youth wing chief of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam. However, as the PWD has not desilted any lake or pond in recent times, “the demand for alluvial soil, which has required nutrients and allows good water retention in paddy, has increased,” said Damodaran of Panapakkam. A senior agriculture department official in Ranipet said that he was newly posted in the region only two months ago. “But I am not aware of any change in the procedure to get alluvial soil,” he said.

RANIPET: Three girls from Aroor village near Kalavai drowned while bathing in an agricultural well on Saturday evening. The Vazhaipandal police identified the deceased as A Yuvashri (13), A Priyanka (12), and V Priya (13). Yuvashri and Priyanka were sisters. According to the police, the well belongs to the sisters’ family, and they usually washed clothes on its banks and took bath in it. On Saturday, local residents saw the three friends going towards the well around 4:30 pm. When they did not return for a long time, residents sensed something was wrong and alerted the police and fire personnel. The girls were pulled out of the well and taken to Kalavai Government Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Yuvashri and Priya were studying in Class 8, and Priyanka was in Class 6 at Government Panchayat Union School in Ponnabalam.

District agriculture officials said that TNCSC would open more DPCs in the district as farmers at regular agri grievances day meetings had sought a total of 75 such facilities. “However, we are willing to open even more provided farmers supply their paddy to us in the current season,” an official said.With a target of procuring 1.50 lakh tonnes of paddy from Ranipet district farmers in the current harvest season, the TN Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has opened 33 direct procurement centres (DPCs) in the district, but various hassles are forcing farmers to lose up to Rs 200 per 40 kilo bag.Sources said that due to such problems and loss many farmers have started moving towards private traders.District agriculture officials said that TNCSC would open more DPCs in the district as farmers at regular agri grievances day meetings had sought a total of 75 such facilities. “However, we are willing to open even more provided farmers supply their paddy to us in the current season,” an official said. Farmers, who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity, said, “though DPCs rates are higher than those offered by private traders we do not face any hassles with the latter as they are more than willing to take paddy stocks from farms directly while payment is given on the spot in cash. Whereas in DPCs payments take a week to reach our accounts.”