TIRUCHY: The state agriculture department has come up with a plan to reduce input costs of cotton farmers while halving their water consumption. The silver bullet? Surabhi variety of cotton.
For the past few years, farmers who cultivate cotton in rain-fed areas in Tiruchy district, such as Thuraiyur, Thottiam and Uppliyapuram, have been struggling to bring the crop — the water-intensive hybrid BT cotton — to harvest. Now, the department will promote Surabhi cotton as a cheaper, less water-instensive, more pest-resistent alternative — with a 50 per cent subsidy.
The Surabhi variety was introduced in TN in 1997, according to officials, and is widely cultivated in Madurai, Ramnad and Sivaganga districts. While BT cotton requires watering every day Surabhi can go two or three days without being watered. BT cotton still requires the use of pesticides, but Surabhi is resistent to 42 different pests. And, there is a significant difference in cost: 1kg of BT cotton seeds is `400 while Surabhi costs only `188 per kg. With the 50 per cent subsidy, this drops to under `100 per kg.
In Tiruchy district, where cotton is cultivated over 8,300 ha, the agriculture department has stocked 19,800kg of Surabhi seeds.
“Surabhi cotton also enjoys a good price at the market,” S Rajeswaran, deputy director, agriculture department, said.