Agriculture extension service strengthened

The extension service in the agriculture sector in India has been strengthened and the ministry was paying special attention to technology transfer to farmers, a top official said here on Tuesday. Technologies are reaching farmers through various means, including training, regional melas, publications, exhibitions and production of video films, O P Dhahiya, Director, Farm Information, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, said.

In his address to the Southern Regional Agricultural Fair and state-level farmers' Day at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he said the service in cooperation with the State extension wing has brought in phenomenal improvement in agricultural development and increased farmers' income. Inaugurating the Fair, C Rajendran, Joint Secretary, Deparment of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu,said doubling productivity and tripling farmers' income was their motto. Since most farmers involved in food production are poor, the government was aiming at promoting welfare schemes for them, he said, adding value addition and storage facilities would be given more importance in years to come.

K Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU said regional fairs were organised with the objective of allowing farmers know the technologies and scientists and extension workers to know what was to be done in future.

Despite 11 districts in last year and 31 districts in penultimate year were declared as drought hit, Tamil Nadu produced 11.3 million tonnes of foodgrains, he said.

He asked farmers to regularly visit the fields and properly utilise technologies in an era of changing food habits and climate. With the theme 'Profitable and Sustainable agriculture,' hundreds of farmers from Southern States - Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry are participating in the four day fair.