Rajarajan 1000 method great success in TN: Madurai Collector

Madurai, Feb 6 (PTI) Rajarajan 1000, a method ofcultivation that was earlier known as System of RiceIntensification, has proved to be a great success in TamilNadu with its use almost doubling the average yield, saidMadurai District Collector.

C Kamaraj said, "The farmers receive good yield of about8 tonnes of paddy from one hectare against four tonnes ofpaddy from any other technique. The yield also comes about 15days ahead of the usual period".

The Collector said the RR 1000 method had been used toraise paddy on 25,984 hectares against a target of 26,000hectares. "We want to fix the target at 55,000 hectares in thenext season", he said.

P Sankaralingam, Joint Director of Agriculture, said thearea of cultivation of the crop was significantly low till2010, but has increased gradually.

The Collector was participating in the harvest festivalheld at Porusupatti near here, where mechanisation was widelyused for planning, weeding, and harvesting of paddy underRR-1000 technique.

Kamaraj also inspected the Water Shed Developmentprogramme implemented by an NGO with the help of NationalAgriculture and Rural Development in Sekkipatti village in thedistrict.

Indian Agriculture Development Foundation, the NGO, hasembarked on converting around 1,000 acres of waste lands intocultivable lands in the hillock of Alagar Kovil byconstructing bunds and watersheds in the farms through whichrain water can be stored. A variety of crops has been raisedin the lands.