PERAMBALUR: The announcement of a technology-cum-market promotion centre for millets, automation of machinery in the sugarcane mill, and works to be taken up under the watershed development programme in Perambalur in the state agriculture budget has enthused farmers in the district.
In the agriculture budget tabled on Tuesday, the state government announced that a technology-cum-market promotion centre for millets with necessary infrastructure will be established in Perambalur at a cost of Rs 4 crore. Elaborating on the announcement, an Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare department official said, "In this, centre capacity building training on value addition technologies in millets and maize will be imparted to farmers, self-help groups, farmer interest groups and farmers producer companies. It will be implemented soon."
On the announcement, N Guru, a millet farmer from Veppanthattai, said, "Although value addition to millets is welcome, it can be achieved only if there is millet production in the district in the first place.
Millet farmers should hence be identified and incentives should be provided for taking up cultivation. Arrangements should also be made to make seeds available in areas where they are not available. Further, farmers’ harvest should be procured directly and value addition steps must be taken." S Velusamy, another farmer, said, “Besides the high production cost for maize, farmers are affected by the harvest not fetching a fair price.
Therefore, DPCs like that for paddy should be set up in the district and produce must be procured a fair price.” On the announcement of automation of machinery at the Eraiyur sugar mill, Tamil Nadu farmers’ association district president N Chelladurai said, "When the crushing is stopped in the mill due to mechanical failure, sugarcane mass gets reduced, affecting farmers.
If the machinery is automated as announced by the government, stoppage can be avoided. There will thus be no delay in crushing." On the installation of anion and cation exchangers at the water treatment plant in Perambalur, Chelladurai said, “This will prevent the water used for crushing from leaking and affecting farmers’ lands.
Also, this will extend the life of the power turbine and improve the quality of treated water. The government should act quickly." On the natural resource management, production system and livelihood support works that are proposed to be taken up in four blocks of the district, R Keerthi, a local, said, “The project should be implemented at the right place.”
