A contact programme with farmers in the village panchayat level has picked up momentum at block levels, said Collector M Vijayalakshmi here on Wednesday.
The Collector, who visited a model farm at Reddiyarchathiram and interacted with the farmers, said that the State government which had started the programme of interaction with farmers by horticulture and agriculture department officials in the beginning of this year, had started picking up now.
The objective, the Collector said, was to get closer to the farmers and know the crop pattern and familiarise with them right from the beginning stage of the farm activity. By doing so, the field staff from the department concerned could give tips and correct the farmer at every stage till the harvest.
After the senior officials briefed about the travel plans of each official deployed for the purpose at the village panchayat level, block level and zonal level, the details would be available on the Uzhavan App which can be downloaded by the farmers on their mobile phones.
The Collector said that every village panchayat should bring at least 10 progressive farmers so that the district could achieve targets with ease and also ensure that the farmers received good returns for the crop. Tamil Nadu Agriculture University scientists also visited the farms as and when required with the officials and offered tips, the Collector said.
Lemon grass
With Sirumalai getting special attention due to the plantation crops, the Horticulture department had ventured into producing oil from lemon grass. The Collector hoped that lemon grass and eucalyptus oil should give good returns to the farmers. The plant had a capacity to crush 250 kg of lemon grass. The oil would be sold at affordable prices, she said.
Deputy Director Perumalsami and other officials accompanied the Collector.