COIMBATORE: Farmers in catchment areas have been advised to opt for collective farming and join or start farmer producer organizations to get the best prices for their harvests and be able to afford modernization techniques and equipment for their farms.
The agricultural marketing and agriculture business department conducted a two-day workshop at the Forest College and Research Institute on Tuesday and Wednesday for around 200 farmers from catchment areas.
The 200 farmers were primarily from in and around Upper Bhavani basin, cultivating coconut, banana and curry leaves. The farmers, who already belong to the Sri Renganathar Farmers Producers Company of Upper Bhavani Basin, were exposed to different opportunities to further develop their produce and modernize their farming equipment.
“We brought in experts to show farmers options to manufacture their own compressed coconut chekku oil, virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut powder. A representative from A1 chips came in to show different chips that could be made of banana, candy, banana powder,” said AGMARK officer Hilda.
Curry leaf farmers were shown different powders, oil, tea bags that could be made with curry leaf. Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agricultural Modernization Project (TNIAMP), is also willing to give the farmer producer company a grant of Rs 20 lakh if they want to invest in equipment to produce any of the above value additions.
District collector K Rajamani, who inaugurated the workshop, advised farmers to adopt micro irrigation for their entire farms, supplement irrigation and form FPO.