101.42 acres land developed

Tirunelvalli:Vermicompost being put in a pit at Urumangulam in Tirunelveli district. A total of 101.42 acres of land in three cluster villages in the district have been developed by the administration to be disbursed to 75 marginal, small and landless farmers in the next few days for planting horticultural crops.

According to sources, lands have been readied at Raavuththapaeri (37 acres for 37 beneficiaries), Venkataampatti of Kadayam block (19.93 acres for 10 beneficiaries) and Urumankulam of Radhapuram block (44.49 acres for 28 beneficiaries).Land development and digging of borewells were done by the Department of Agriculture Engineering followed by formation of irrigation societies by the Department of Agriculture.

The Department of Horticulture took up planting of Amla at Raavuththapaeri and Urumankulam and Mango at Venkataampatti, combined with micro irrigation and fertigation facilities in all cluster villages on an outlay of Rs 13.41 lakh. Horticulture planting activities in these villages were dovetailed under National Horticulture Mission, a lucrative scheme being implemented in the district for the past two years and micro-irrigation schemes, said C. Israel, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Tirunelveli.

K.A. Syed Kader Oli, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Tirunelveli, said that the beneficiaries would start reaping rewards from the third year onwards.S. Raja Mohamed, Horticultural Officer, Radhapuram, demonstrated filling of pits, manuring it with vermicompost and planting amla (NA 7, Kanchan and BSR - 1) grafts produced by State Horticulture Farm, Courtallam.Planting of amla grafts in Urumankulam cluster would be taken up from June 11 with assistance of NSS volunteers of Jesus the Redeemer Higher Secondary School, Thisaiyanvilai. Mass planting of grafts would be carried out subsequently.