Horticulture crops coverage to go up by 44,250 acres

Announcing the same in the Assembly, while replying to the debate on demand for grants for his department, state Agriculture Minister R Doraikkannu said the horticulture crops offer good profit to farmers. 

Hence, Rs 34.45 crore would be sanctioned to increase the acreage by 44,250 acres in the current fiscal, he said.  The Minister also announced Rs 7.35 crore to provide 40 and 50 per cent subsidy respectively to promote onion (shallots and Bellary onion) cultivation and develop 636 warehouses to store the produce in all districts this year. 

In a bid to promote kitchen garden in urban and suburban areas, the government has also offered to allocate Rs 20 lakh to supply two lakh seedlings at 40 per cent subsidy to the people. 

A sum of Rs 10 crore has been provided to offer short-term skill development training and promote horticulture among 7,000 rural youths this financial year. 

The training would be offered through horticulture training centres at Madhavaram in Tiruvallur, Kudumiyanmalai in Pudukkottai, Thali in Krishnagiri and Ooty in The Nilgiri districts besides government horticulture farms, Doraikkannu informed the House on Tuesday. Another Rs 4.20 crore would also be sanctioned to train 500 apprentices.