Dist agricultural plan recommends for Rs 116 cr

Tiruchirpalli, May 25 (UNI) The Tiruchirapalli District agricultural plan, drawn up by the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development studies of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), has recommended an allocation of Rs 163 crore for the district under the National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), over a period of four years, district Collector T Soundiah said.

Speaking to presspersons here yesterday, after the consultative meeting organised by the Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute (ADARC) and the Agriculture Department, he said that the plan proposed to allocate nearly Rs 50 crore during 2008-09 under the NADP, one of the flagship programmes of the Centre which seeks to give a thrust to the growth in agricultural sector.

A document detailing plans on various components to be implemented in agriculture, horticulture, marketing and agri-business would be forwarded to the Centre and state governments for approval.

The requirement for the horticulture department for the four-year period is estimated at Rs 97.18 crore and the agricultural engineering department would promote farm mechanisation, development of water harvesting structures, soil conservation and water management practices, he added.

Under agricultural marketing development dissemination of market information, market intelligence, contract farming, farmers-traders meet and infrastructure development would be implemented, with an allocation of Rs 711.49 lakh by 2011-12, he added.

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