PERAMBALUR: Thousands of saplings of various tree varieties raised at the state horticulture farm at Vengalam in the district have been going waste over the past two years due to the lack of sufficient efforts by the authorities to sell them.
Blaming also the lack of maintenance of the premises for the raised saplings wilting away, farmers remark that the horticulture department may well have given away the saplings to them for free. The horticulture farm set up on 4.72 hectares at a cost of Rs 2 crore in 2018 raises saplings of seven tree varieties like mango, guava and coconut, which are then sold off mainly to farmers at subsidised rates.
Each year, the government allocates Rs 15-20 lakh towards maintenance of the farm, covering its expenses on electricity, labour, and production, among others. The farm targets production of around 1.3 lakh saplings annually, sources said. Over the past two years, thousands of saplings raised at the farm, however, are either dying or turning incapable of maturing into healthy trees due to the negligence of the staff, say farmers.
As a result, they go waste without going sold, incurring losses for the government, they add. The negligence of the staff also has led to the damage of the farm’s polyhouses, with weed growth. Farmers relying on the saplings in the farm question the horticulture department’s efforts.
S Ragavan a farmer from Perambalur, said, "The saplings at the farm should be sold within eight months of their development from seedlings. Thousands of them, including of coconut and mango, however, remain unsold for around a year now, rendering them unusable. These cannot be sold to farmers. Despite having a horticulture officer in the farm, the saplings have been damaged. This causes losses for the government."
Another farmer, J Azhagan of Veppanthattai, said, "Due to the farm’s poor management, it is impossible for farmers to benefit from it. Five grievance redressal meetings and mass contact programmes involving farmers and the public are held each month. Through them, the authorities could have given away the saplings for free. The government should hence improve maintenance."
When contacted, a senior horticulture department official in Perambalur said, "We are aware of the issues at the farm. Due to heavy rains, there is weed overgrowth. We are assessing the situation and taking steps to spruce up the farm."