BackOrchard-livestock integrated farming is profitable: says Director CSWRI

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A five-day training programme was inaugurated yesterday (19.11.2023) under the scheduled caste sub-plan of GoI at Southern Regional Research Center located at Mannavanur in Dindigul District. Hill-farmers from Mannavanur, Kilavarai, Polur, Kavunji and Kodaikanal participated in the training on the occasion of the center’s 59^th Foundation Day titled “Integrated approach to increase productivity in hill –farming scenario”.Dr. Arun Kumar Tomar, Director of Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute under ICARpresided over the program.Mr. Bhim Singh, Administrative officer also participated. Dr.Tomar expressed his happiness and appreciation to all past and present employees who were instrumental in bringing up this centre. This training includes rabbit, sheep and dairy cow rearing, along with garlic, carrot and mushroom cultivation and 90 farmers are to be benefitted. Farm implements like crowbar, prong hoe, spade, tarpaulin, and rain coat are also to be distributed at the end of training programme.Along with this, experts from Madurai Veterinary University Research and Training Center, Kodaikanal Horticulture Research Center, Horticulture College and Research Institute, Periyakulam are also participating as special instructors.Mr. Arun Kumar Tomar, while talking to the farmers, said that cooperation among the farmers is the only way to solve the problems of pricing their produce and also by raising sheep and goats in an integrated manner with orchards, agriculturists can earn more profit.  He also laid emphasis on  double the farm-income through integrated farming in hilly areas. It would be very useful for the farmers in the hilly areas of Tamil Nadu to discuss with the farmers living in the hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh and to learn the new technologies available there, he said. The office-bearers of Tamil Nadu Meat Rabbit Producing Farmers Association (TNMRPFA) interacted with the Director and submitted a memorandum with their demands. Progressive rabbit farmers must have strong linkage with scientists to keep themselves updated, the Director opined.

Exposure trips will help the farmers to understand new technologies more easily through interaction with fellow-farmers and seeing them in person wouldinstill confidence in those technologies. The program was organized by Southern Regional Research Center’s Dr. P.  Thirumurugan, Officer-in-Chargeand Dr. S. Jegaveera Pandian, Senior Scientist.