TNPL commissions new clonal research centre

Karur, Jan 28 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) had commissioned a state-of-the-art clonal propagation centre at Moolimangalam in this district of Tamil Nadu.

TNPL sources said the centre would produce ten-crore clonal plants a year and claimed that the centre was said to be the largest clonal production, research and development centre in a single location in India.

TNPL requires around 1.5 lakh tonne of pulpwood a year and with the implementation of the Rs 560-crore Mill Development Plan, the requirement would go up to 4.5 lakh tonnes a year. To meet the demand, the TNPL evolved the Farm Forestry and Captive Plantation Schemes.

Both the schemes entail the TNPL to supply quality planting material at subsidised cost, arrangement of credit facilities through banks, provision of timely technical advice to farmers and buy back arrangement with a minimum support price.

Through effective extension and implementation plans, TNPL has raised plantation on over 20,000 acres involving 4,100 farmers across 15 districts.

UNI RV KVV 1140