Horticulture

Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops

Horticulture sector has emerged as one of the important and vibrant part of Indian agriculture in recent years. Its role in the Country’snutritional security,poverty alleviation and employment generation programme is becoming increasing important.It offers not only a wide range of options to the farmers for crop diversification for making agriculture more profitable through efficient land use,but also provides ample scope for sustaining large number of agro-industries which generate huge employment opportunities.Horticulture crops identified as a means of diversification, optimum utilization of natural resources and creating skilled employment for rural masses especially women folk.Keeping pace with increase in demand, area and production under horticultural crops have increased considerably over the years.Horticulture is seen as a source for diversification by the farming community since there is a tremendous scope for increasing their income by adopting latest technologies without affecting the food security.Over the last decade,the area under horticulture grew by about 2.7 per cent per annum and annual production increased by 7.0 per cent.

Horticulture Department Activities

“Per Drop More Crop” – Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) 

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Water is a critical input in agriculture in nearly all its aspect.How much, at what time and how plants are watered has determining effect on the eventual yield.Micro-Irrigation technology is increasingly seen as a means of addressing the growing competition for scarce water resources.The use of Micro Irrigation technology results in a significant yield improvement over traditional irrigation practices.Periodical and uniform discharge of water through Micro Irrigation system not only helps in enhancing crop productivity and water use efficiency but also reduces the labour cost and controls the weed.Fertigation done through Micro Irrigation not only increases the fertilizer 184 use efficiency but also increases the quality of the produce.Being water starved State, the State focuses on massive promotion of MI in Agriculture and Horticulture crops particularly in high water consuming Sugarcane and Banana crops.The scheme is being implemented under “Per Drop More Crop” component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) with a subsidy sharing pattern of 60:40 between the Central and State.Tamil Nadu is the only state in the country extending 100% subsidy to Small and Marginal farmers and 75% subsidy to Other category farmers.The State Government has taken efforts to absorb the GST in the State share in respect of Micro Irrigation systems so as to reduce the financial burden on the farmers. For implementing Micro Irrigation scheme under PMKSY, new software namely Micro Irrigation Management Information System (MIMIS) has been launched by the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops from the year 2017-18 onwards. The MIMIS software was developed in a user friendly way so that the farmers who are willing to avail the Micro Irrigation scheme benefits can register themselves in the common service centres 186 without any difficulty.The software has been developed both in Tamil and English to enable the farmers to access the information in understandable language.The officials can also monitor the scheme right from registration of the beneficiaries till final subsidy release.The software aids in maintaining transparency in the implementation of the Micro Irrigation scheme.

National Horticulture Mission (NHM)

National Horticulture Mission with the objective of bringing holistic development of Horticulture in the State is being implemented from 2005-2006 onwards.Focused attention is given to increase the production and productivity of Horticultural crops by adopting strategies such as promotion of hybrids,diversification of traditional cropping system into Hi-tech protected cultivation,high density planting,Rejuvenation of old senile and unproductive Plantation/Orchards,supply of quality planting materials,encouraging pollination through bee keeping,development of infrastructure for Post Harvest Managements, crop specific programmes and intervention of suitable scientific technologies through extension functionaries etc., National Horticulture Mission is implemented with fund sharing pattern of 60:40 between the Centre and State from 2015-16 as a sub scheme under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).For the year 2018-19 National Horticulture Mission is being implemented with outlay of 584.24 Lakhs.

National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP)

With the objective to increase productivity of important crops through focused interventions and maximizing returns to farmers,the National Agricultural Development Programme is implemented in the State with 60:40 sharing pattern between Central and State Government.During the year 2018-19,Assistance for quality production and risk mitigation in Horticulture crop production in Tamil Nadu.

Perimetro Vegetable Cluster Development Programme

With the main objective of reducing the gap between the producer and consumer,ensuring supply of quality vegetables at lesser price to the urban population besides enabling cluster farmers to derive higher income,Perimetro Programme was implemented from 2015-16 with the budget allocation of Rs.167.78 Lakhs.A sum of Rs.93.50 lakhs is allocated towards the implementation of the scheme in the components like Area Expansion, and Human Resource Development.

National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)

Bringing agriculture sustainable,more productive and remunerative besides climate resilient by promoting location specific Integrated/Composite Farming Systems are the focus of NMSA.Rainfed Area Development and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana are the components implemented under this scheme.

Rainfed Area Development (RAD)

The objective of the scheme is to promote Integrated Farming System (IFS) with emphasis on multitier-cropping,rotational cropping,inter cropping,mixed-cropping practices with allied activities like horticulture, livestock, fisheries, agro-forestry,apiculture, conservation/promotion of Non-Timber forest Products etc.to enable farmers not only in maximizing the farm returns for sustaining livelihood,but also to mitigate the impacts of drought,flood or other extreme weather events.This scheme is implemented with a sharing pattern of 60:40 between Centre and State.During the year 2018-19,Horticultural Based Farming, Protected cultivation and Vermi Compost production Structures,Farmers training and Demonstrations will be implemented with outlay of 71.95 Lakhs.

Paramparagat Krishi VikasYojana (PKVY)

Organic farming,certification by Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) and marketing the produces in the local market are encouraged in this scheme by cluster approach.This is a Government of India and the State government shared scheme with a sharing pattern of 60:40.

TNIAMP (IAMWARM II) Project (Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project – Horticulture)

TNIAMP is a multi disciplinary project funded by World Bank and implemented by the Government of Tamil Nadu.The main objective of the programme is to accelerate crop diversification from crops requiring more water to high remunerative and less water requiring horticultural crops, through promotion of hi-tech cultivation technologies and water conservation technologies in the proposed Gadana and Lower Tamirabarani sub basins.During the first year (2018-19),it is programmed to implement in Gadana and Lower Tamirabarani sub basin with an outlay of Rs.426.08Lakhs. The proposed innovative interventions are Horticultural crop demonstration,Promotion of pesticide free vegetables production, Promotion of Micro irrigation,Climate resilience technology of protected cultivation and Mulching in TNIAMP.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY)

In this scheme,farmers can insure the notified horticulture crops viz Banana,Tapioca,Onion and Red Chillies in notified revenue villages.

Collective Farming Scheme for Horticulture

The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced in Budget speech 2017-18 an innovative programme for organizing small and marginal farmers into Farmer Producer Groups which will be federated into Farmer Producer Organizations to promote collective farming for credit mobilization,better adoption of technology and facilitate effective forward and backward linkages.

New State Horticulture Farms ,Vannikonnendal

Timely production and distribution of quality pedigree planting materials of Horticulture crops at a reasonable price to the farmers is the objective of the State Horticulture farms.It is being established with an outlay of 2 crores from NADP(2014-15) fund.To cater the needs of Horticultural farmers, mother plants of Mango,Guava, Aonla and Acidlime plants are raised in the farm.Further, these farms also serve as “Model Demonstration Farms” on the latest technology,farm mechanization, and modern irrigation technologies etc., to the farmers, besides providing employment opportunities to the landless laborers.

Eco park, Courtrallam

The Eco Park is located near Five Falls (Aintharuvi) in Courtallam in Tenkasi District of Tamilnadu.It is also known as ‘AruviPoonga’.This Eco Park has been set up over an extent of 37.23 acres at a cost of Rs.5.73 crore.It is touted to be the State’s biggest eco-park.This park is located adjacent to the famous ‘Five Falls.The farm belonging to the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency (TANHODA) has been converted to accommodate the park.The Eco Park, known as ‘AruviPoonga’,has been established on the 37 acre Horticulture Farm premises near Five Falls with the prime objective of creating awareness on the public on conserving the highly rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats and its highly delicate ecosystem.Specialty of this new facility is that the existing landscape of the Horticulture Farm and its environment has been completely retained while new attractions have been created to lure the visitors.While the eastern boundary of this park is the stream rustling down from the height to reach Five Falls,the elevated western boundary has a range of gardens to add more colour to the Western Ghats Apart from acting as a recreational centre, this park is also a great learning centre for students.Also, the farms of this park have educational and commercial significance.They act as demonstration centers and guide for such purposes.