Fertilizer testing lab soon

Tiruchi:The Government has sanctioned Rs.352 lakh for setting up fertilizer testing labs in 16 districts in the State this year, the Director of Agriculture S. Kosalaraman has said.The Government would also establish six pesticide testing labs in six districts at a cost of Rs.300 lakh, he said at a seminar on multi-disciplinary agriculture organised by the Department of Agriculture here on Saturday.

Eleven districts will get soil testing labs at an expenditure of Rs.77 lakhs, while eight existing labs would get Atomic Absorption Spectro Photometers to test the soil nutrients at a cost of Rs.80 lakh.The Government has also allotted Rs.10 lakhs for issuing soil health cards to 10 lakh farmers in the State this year.About 1,200 farmers interest groups will be set up in the State and they would be provided training, office and libraries. The groups will get a financial assistance of up to Rs.12,300 each and the Government has allotted Rs.147.6 lakh for the purpose. Already 1,200 groups have been formed during the pervious year.

The Government has also earmarked Rs.2 crores for creating ‘seed villages,’ for producing quality seeds.The Government will provide 50 per cent subsidy for setting up the seed villages.All the subsidy schemes would be implemented in a time bound manner and farmers should utilise the same, he said.