Agriculture Farming in Tamil Nadu, Cultivation Practices

Agriculture farming in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu agriculture is the greatest overriding sector in the economy of the state. Nearly 70% of the state’s population is involved in agricultural activities as this is one of the major means of livelihood in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has occupied an area of 1.3 lakh sq. km with an overall area of nearly 63 Lakhs Hectare for plantation. The primary duty of the government of Tamil Nadu is to activate stability in the agricultural sector and also rise the sustainability in the agricultural production of the state. This is done to reach the demands put forth by the growing population in the food segment in addition to the raw materials department in the agro-based industries. This will take a toll on the unemployment in the rural areas in Tamil Nadu. The agriculture in Tamil Nadu has executed a good performance over the years with the help of so many efficient farmers who are both receptive and responsive to the technological development announced in the agricultural sector of Tamil Nadu. The agricultural department of Tamil Nadu has decided upon executing various development schemes and generating innovative technologies to confirm growth in the state’s agriculture.

A step by step guide to agriculture farming in Tamil Nadu

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the major source of livelihood in Tamil Nadu. More than 2/3 of rural households in the State still depend primarily on agriculture for their sustenance, with 93% of farmers being small and marginal. The welfare and well-being of the State’s population mostly depend either directly or indirectly on the fortunes of agriculture. Moreover, the key responsibility of the State Government is to ensure stability in agricultural sectors and sustainability in agricultural production of the State.

The Government of Tamil Nadu is taking a plethora of sound policies and revolutionary strategies to give impetus to agriculture by bringing in various agrarian reforms and crop-specific, soil specific, season-specific, climate-specific, farm-specific approaches in agriculture which is beleaguered by enigmatic weather, uncertainty in rainfall, slumping land area, plummeting water resources, deteriorating soil fertility, unrestrainable pests, and diseases, increased costs of critical inputs, difficulty in the horizontal expanse of labor scarcity, land resources, and vacillating market prices.

Major soil groups of Tamil Nadu for agriculture farming

Soil is one of the important non-renewable basic resources on the earth’s surface.

The major soil groups of Tamil Nadu are Red soils, Black soils, Laterite soils, and Coastal soils

The red soils are further classified as:

• Red loamy
• Red sterile
• Red-sandy
• Thin red
• Deep red loamy soils

Salient features of agriculture farming crops in Tamil Nadu

The salient features of Tamil Nadu’s agriculture are;

a) Marked water scarcity, the need for a shift, and diversification from the current concentration of cultivation from water-intensive crops such as rice and sugarcane to more nutritious but less water consuming crops such as pulses, oilseeds, millets and so on in terms of total irrigated land.

 b) The predominance of marginal and small farmers in overall agriculture production.

Tamil Nadu Agriculture has taken up different types of programs to step up agricultural production along with improving the economic status of the cultivation sector. These areas listed below;

• Intensive Integrated farming system
• Massive Wasteland Development Programme
• Extensive watershed development activities
• Water management through Micro irrigation systems
• Organic farming
• Soil health improvement through Bio-fertilizer with Green Manuring
• Adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technologies

Major agriculture farming crops in Tamil Nadu

The major crops sown in Tamil Nadu are rice, jowar, maize, bajra, ragi, and pulses. Some other crops that are highly cultivated in the regions of Tamil Nadu are tea, coffee, sugarcane, cotton, and coconut. Tamil Nadu has also gained an admirable status in the horticultural sector in its agricultural department. The horticultural products of Tamil Nadu include oilseed crops and cash crops. Mangoes Bananas are cash crops while sesame, groundnuts, and sunflower are oilseed crops. In Tamil Nadu, paddy is the most leading crop and is found in 3 kinds namely Thaladi, Kuruvali, and Samba that varies from season to season. Wells and river tanks are the main sources of irrigation. Agriculture in Tamil Nadu possesses a jatropha plant that has Bio-diesel policy which gives away the wasteland of the Tamil Nadu state to the farmers for cropping. Tamil Nadu is widely popular for the largest producer of agricultural products in India.

Tamil Nadu accounts for 6% of vegetables and 10% in fruit production in India. Mango and banana are the leading fruit crops in Tamil Nadu accounting for over 87% of the total fruit production in the state. The main vegetables grown are tapioca, onion, tomato, drumstick, and brinjal.

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Important crops in Tamil Nadu are;

The cash crops like sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, coffee, gingelly, tea, rubber, coconut, and chilies. Generally produced horticultural products are mangoes and bananas only. Tamil Nadu state is the largest producer and cultivator of flowers, tapioca, bananas, the 2^nd largest producer and cultivator of coconut, mangoes, groundnut, and natural rubber and the 3^rd largest producer and cultivator of coffee, sapota, Tea and sugarcane. Tamil Nadu’s cultivation yield of sugarcane per hectare is the highest yield by comparing it to the other states of India.

Vegetables crops grown in Tamil Nadu

Vegetables are the storehouses of most of the vitamins, proteins, and minerals. The nutritional value of vegetables is unsurpassed many vegetables have a high nutrient content and low Glycemic index compared to other foods. Since Tamil Nadu state has varied climatic conditions, many numbers of vegetables are grown in Tamil Nadu.

The main vegetables grown in Tamil Nadu are Brinjal, Tapioca, Tomato, Onion, and Ladyfinger. These account for over 70% of the total area as well as the production of vegetables. Hybrid vegetable cultivation is encouraged by providing assistance to cultivation. The hybrid vegetable portrays seedlings are being raised in State Horticulture Farms and circulated to farmers at a subsidized cost to increase the area and production under vegetable cultivation.

Area, production and productivity and major vegetables cultivating districts

Agro-climatic conditions of Tamil Nadu

Based on soil conditions, irrigation, cropping pattern, rainfall distribution, and other ecological and social characteristics, the Tamil Nadu state has been classified into 7 agro-climatic zones. Below are the 7 agro-climatic zones of the State of Tamil Nadu.

1. Cauvery Delta zone

2. North Eastern zone

3. Western zone

4. North-Western zone

5. High Altitude zone

6. Southern zone and

7. High Rainfall zone

Major schemes operated by the Tamil Nadu agricultural department

Major Schemes operated by the Department of Horticulture and Plantation crops in Tamil Nadu are;

Advanced and Innovative methods are given to horticultural farmers through several schemes to improve the productivity of almost all horticultural crops.

Tamil Nadu state with 7 agro-climatic conditions and varied soil types is better suited for the production of Spices, Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers, Plantation crops, Medicinal and Aromatic plants.

Doubling the production and tripling the income of farmers is the leading policy of Tamil Nadu. The Horticulture Department has taken up the challenge to satisfy the State’s policy by achieving a higher growth rate in Horticulture by implementing some developmental schemes and also through the propagation of relevant technologies to step up the production.

Agricultural subsidies in Tamil Nadu

The administration in Tamil Nadu State is offering assistance under the Agricultural Mechanization Program. Accordingly, aids in purchasing a variety of machines namely Power tiller, Rotavator, seed Drill, Paddy Trans-planter, Fertilizer Drill, Zero till Seed, Bund Former, and Power sprayer. Also, it also assists to buy machines that are operated by tractor- Straw Baler, Brushcutter, and Power Weeder.

However, it provides 50% and 40% subsidy to SC/ST and general farmers respectively. Moreover, the farmer is given the option to select the machinery of their choice. Accordingly, the government gives Rs 30.75 lakhs for supporting the initiative.

Tamil Nadu organic certification department

In Tamil Nadu State, Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department is aimed at making an ecosystem, which can achieve sustainable productivity without the use of artificial external inputs such as fertilizers, agrochemicals, and pesticides. TNOCD (Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department) was established by the State Government of Tamil Nadu and inspection of the organic production system in accordance with National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department (TNOCD) is carrying out the certification of Agricultural Organic Crop Production, Trade, and Processing under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The TNOCD is accredited by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi, Government of India. Organic Certification carried out by this Department is recognized internationally and is on par with standards of Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance and European Union etc. Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department (TNOCD) also gives free training to registered organic farmers on the National Standards for Organic Production. 

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Agro-climatic regions of Tamil Nadu

Horticulture in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, the Horticulture crops grown have been classified into 6 categories viz., fruits, vegetables, flowers, plantation crops, spices and condiments, and medicinal and aromatic plants.

Fruit Crops in Tamil Nadu – Major fruit crops in Tamil Nadu are Citrus, Banana, Mango, Grapes, Guava, Papaya, Sapota, and Pineapple. These are grown in 2,93,146 hectares mainly in districts like Krishnagiri, Thirunelveli, Vellore, Dindigul, Trichy, Theni, Erode, Thiruvallur, Dharmapuri, and Madurai.

Vegetable Crops in Tamil Nadu – Major Vegetable crops grown are Onion, Tapioca, Tomato, Bhendi, Potato, Brinjal, beans, Drumstick and Carrot in an area of 2,26,502 hectare mainly in districts like Trichy, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Thiruppur, Dindigul, Villupuram, Krishnagiri, Nilgiris, Perambalur and Theni Districts.

Flowers Crops in Tamil Nadu – In addition to the traditional flowers like Crossandra, Jasmine, Tuberose, and Chrysanthemum, cut flowers like Carnations, Rose and Gerbera are also being produced in the State. The cut-flower industry is growing day by day because of high export prospects. Flowers are grown in an area of 25309 hectares in districts like Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Salem, Thiruvallur, Tirunelveli, Vellore and Thiruvannamalai.

Plantation Crops in Tamil Nadu – Tea, Coffee, Cashew, and Rubber are the important Plantation Crops grown in an area of 2,32,988 hectares in Districts like Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Nilgiris, Dindigul, Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Salem, and Pudukottai.

Spices and Condiments in Tamil Nadu – Important Spices and Condiments grown are Chillies, Turmeric, Pepper, Coriander, Tamarind, Cardamom and Cloves in an area of 1,45,559 hectare in districts like Ramnad, Erode, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Dharmapuri, Salem, Dindigul, and Sivagangai Districts.

Medicinal and Aromatic crops in Tamil Nadu – Medicinal and Aromatic crops like Gloriosa, Coleus, Lemon-grass, Senna, and Periwinkle are grown in an area of 11,230 hectares in districts like Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Ariyalur, Thiruvallur, Dharmapuri, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Salem, and Trichy.

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