CHENNAI: With the aim of giving a leg up to farmers in augmenting their income, the Tamil Nadu government is going to implement the integrated farming system (IFS) project in five districts on a pilot basis, providing financial assistance and technological support to the beneficiaries through multiple agencies.
Apart from the food and horticultural components, the project will support agro-based industries such as livestock farming. Milch cows, goats and sheep, fish culture in farm ponds, vermin compost units, kitchen garden, agro-forestry fodder tree and apiary are part of the component of the IFS project.
Tirunelveli, Madurai, Thanjavur, Villupuram and Erode districts have been selected by the Agriculture department for implementing the pilot project in the current financial year to double the income of the farmers. As many as 2,500 IFS units will be formed in 10 revenue villages to be selected from the blocks chosen in these districts.
“A total of 2,500 IFS units will be formed in the selected blocks of the five districts with each unit having two persons, consisting of a farmer and his spouse or daughter as joint holding. Preference will be given to small and marginal farmers,” a top official of the Agriculture department said.
A subsidy of `1 lakh will be provided for establishing each unit which should be maintained as a model unit so that other farmers can visit them.
Women members of the units will be supported to purchase milch animals, goats and sheep, poultry, apiary, ducks, turkey, quail, rabbit and pigs while men can avail themselves of financial assistance for farm ponds, agro-forestry and fodder, fodder chaff cutters, horticultural fruit plants, bio-gas units and vermi compost units.
Personnel of the Animal Husbandry department and faculties of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU), Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) and Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University (TNJFU) will be roped in for implementing the project.