TN agri production rises nearly 50% in 15 years

Agricultural production in Tamil Nadu has gone up by nearly 50 per cent to 127 lakh tonnes in the last 15 years despite decline in crop area, rainfall and average land holding.
The agriculture production, which was 86 lakh tonnes in 2000, had increased to 127 lakh tonnes, state Agriculture Director Dr M Rajendran said.
This was despite the crop area, which was 66 lakh hectare in 1990, shrinking to 42 lakh hectare now, Rajendran told the 81st Scientific Workers Conference at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here.
Similarly, annual rainfall, which was 1,200 mm in 90s, had declined to 900 mm at present, he said.

He cautioned that in future, water and energy are going to be limiting factors and productivity of crops like sugarcane, which was constant for the last 40 years.
State Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary Rajesh Lakhoni said that in five years, rice and pulses production should be doubled and millet productivity tripled, as targeted by the government.
Maximum expenditure in fertilizers and pesticides incurred by farmers should be reduced, he told the scientists.
Sitherasenan, Commissioner of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu requested the University to evolve high yielding varieties and hybrids.