‘Tree growers mela’ aims at boosting forest cover

To ensure increased income for the farming community and to boost the forest cover in the district, the Coimbatore based Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) along with Tiruvannamalai district administration conducted a tree growers mela in the town on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, IFGTB director Mohit Gera said that by adopting the scientific techniques propagated by the State government, the Forest Department would not only ensure that the yield of farmers was increased but also their income. He also drove the point that the latest techniques would increase forest cover and also ensure adequate rain. 

Collector KS Kandasamy in his address appealed farmers to make best use of techniques like drip irrigation which assured yields with lesser water consumption. He said that the forest and agriculture departments have information about different crops and types of soil that would suit them the best. Contrary to the earlier practice of trees yielding fruit after nearly 25 years, now yields were assured  in 10 years.