Tamil Nadu: 6.4 lakh saplings distributed to increase green cover

COIMBATORE: The agriculture department distributed 6.43 lakh saplings to farmers under the Tamil Nadu Mission on Sustainable Green Cover in Farm Lands scheme in the last two financial years.
While 3.42 lakh saplings were distributed in 2021-22, 3.01 lakh were distributed in 2022-23, an official said. “We will distribute more in the current fiscal and check the survival rate of the saplings soon,” he said.
The saplings were distributed to farmers who registered on the Uzhavan app. Timber trees species like teak, red sandalwood, acacia, vengai, sandal, manjal kadambu, rosewood, malai vembu, mahogany, karumaruthu and poovarasu and medicinal trees such as neem, pungan, tamarind, maruthamaram, thandrikkai, thoobamaram, Indian gooseberry, moringa, cinnamon, Manila tamarind and vilvam were planted under the scheme.
While some farmers received 50 saplings each, to be planted on bunds in one acre, 160 saplings were distributed to farmers for planting in one acre agricultural fields, the official said. “The farmers are incentivized for growing the trees. They will receive 7 per tree for each year for three years from the second year.”
Farmers in Kinathukadavu block received the highest allocation of 78,408 saplings, followed by those in Pollachi north with 68,000 and Annur with 66, 856 saplings.
The beneficiaries lauded the scheme, which they said will improve green cover, but were not happy about the incentive. “The 7 per tree is not a good incentive and should be increased. I am yet to get any money. Authorities should speed up the process,” said Sethumathavan of Thondamuthur.
A senior agriculture department official said the government is likely to increase the incentive.