Agriculture – Farmers Welfare Department

Policy Note 2023-2024

The Government policy and objectives have been to ensure stability in agricultural production and to increase the agricultural production in a sustainable manner to meet the food requirement of growing population and also to meet the raw material needs of agro based industries, thereby providing employment opportunities to the rural population.

Tamil Nadu has all along been one of the states with a creditable performance in agricultural production with the farmers relatively more responsive and receptive to changing technologies and market forces.The Agriculture Department has taken up the challenge to achieve higher growth rate in agriculture by implementing several development schemes and also propagation of relevant technologies to step up the production. Intensive Integrated farming system, massive Wasteland Development Programme, comprehensive watershed development activities, water management through Micro irrigation systems, Organic farming, Soil health improvement through Bio-fertiliser including Green Manuring, adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technologies are given priority through various programmes, besides crop diversification to fetch better return and value addition to agricultural produce are also given priority to improve the economic status of the farming community.

Joint Director Of Agriculture

Email : agritnv[at]gmail[dot]com,
Email : agritnv[at]nic[dot]in
Phone no : 0462-2572514

Cropping Pattern

Tirunelveli district is predominantly an agricultural district. The district has two main seasons, Kar (From June to September during south-west monsoon) and Pishanam (From November to February during north-east monsoon). The cropping pattern of the district varies from Taluk to Taluk. Paddy occupies however, the largest area of cultivation, followed by Pulses. Paddy is cultivated mainly in Manur, Palayamkottai, Tenkasi, Shenkottai, Ambasamudram, Cheranmadevi, Sivagiri and Nanguneri Taluks, through which the perennial river Tamirabarani flows. Wet land cultivation is, essentially paddy cultivation obtains a major share of the gross cropped area. Even in dry regions, wherever water is available, it is the paddy crop that sown by the farmers. Under rainfed or dry land cultivation areas, diversified crop patterns exist and no single crop claims a large share of the gross cropped area. Cultivation which characterizes these regions is also basically millets and pulses.

Other crops grown in the district are Maize, pulses, groundnut, gingelly, coconut banana and chillies. Portions of Sankarankoil Taluk have the rich, fertile black cotton soil which is highly suitable for cotton cultivation. Factors such as type of soil, climatic conditions, irrigation facilities, etc., determine the cropping pattern in a region. Most of the rainfed areas are cultivated during North East Monsoon either pulses of millets. Most of the crops are on the ground for three or four months except chillies and cotton which take more than five months.

District Level

Technical Wing

• Joint Director of Agriculture
• Deputy Director of Agriculture (GOI Schemes)
• Deputy Director of Agriculture (State Schemes)
• Assistant Director of Agriculture (Quality Control)
• Agricultural Officer (GOI Schemes)
• Agricultural Officer (State Schemes)
• Agricultural Officer (Quality Control and information & Training)

Training Wing

• Deputy Director of Agriculture (Farmers Training Center)
• Agricultural Officer (Farmers Training Center)

Lab Wing

• Agricultural Officer(Soil Testing Lab), Agricultural Officer (Pesticide Testing Lab)
• Agricultural Officer(Bio Control Lab), Agricultural Officer (Bio Fertilizer Lab)

District Collectorate

• Deputy Director of Agriculture (PPM – P.A to Collector)
• Agricultural Officer (PPM)

Ministerial Staff

• Administrative Officer
• Assistant Account Officer
• Superintendent
• Assistants
• Junior Assistants
• Record Clerks
• Jeep Drivers
• Office Assistants
• Watchman

Block Level

Technical Wing

• ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE
• Agricultural Officer
• Deputy Agricultural Officer (Sub Agricultural Extension Center)
• Assistant Seed Officer
• Assistant Agricultural Officers

Ministerial Staff

• Depot Managers
• Sub-Depot Managers
• Assistants
• Junior Assistants
• Record Clerks
• Jeep Drivers
• Office Assistants
• Watchman

District-Level Technical Staff Activities

• Allocation of Financial and Physical Target to block ADAs received from Commissioner of Agriculture under State ,Central Govt Schemes and Part II Schemes .
• Re-Allocation of Budget Estimates to block ADAs received from Commissioner of Agriculture under State ,Central Govt Schemes and Part II Schemes .
• Imparting Training and Technical Information to block level officers.
• Monitoring of Schemes implemented by block ADAs at various Level.

Block-Level Technical Staff Activities

• Assistant Director of Agriculture: the Implementing Officer for all State, Central Govt Schemes and Part II Schemes.
• Laying out of Adaptive Research Trials, Demonstration Plots etc.
• Imparting Training and Technical Information to Farmers and Farm Women.
• Reconciliation of Crops Area Coverage joint with Revenue and Statistical Dept.
• Conducting Crop Estimation Surveys and Crop Insurance Surveys along with Revenue and Statistical Dept.
• Procurement and Distribution of All Kinds of Agricultural Inputs like Seeds, Fertilizers, Bio- Fertilizers , Micro- Nutrient Mixtures and Bio-Pesticides to Farming Community.
• Fertilizer and Pesticide Quality Control and Monitoring
• Pesticide Recommendation Based on Pest and Disease Surveillance Plot and Initiate Preventive Measure to Control Pest and Disease

Research Centres

State Seed Farms, Karaiyiruppu

The State Seed Farm was formed on 1 October 1957 at Karaiyiruppu in Tirunelveli taluk and is engaged in production of high yielding paddy seeds (certified and foundation seeds), pulses, and green manure seeds. It has a total area of 83.59 acres with a cultivable area of 76 acres. This farm received water from Karaiyiruppu kattalai tank which recharged from Kodagan channel of tamirabarani river.

State Coconut Nursery and Crossing Centre, Vadakarai

Coconut Crossing Centre is located in Vadakarai village in Tenkasi taluk about 15 km from Tenkasi. It started functioning from 1st December 1991 in an area of 3.94 acres. Procurement of nuts and distribution of seedlings are the main function of this Centre.

State Coconut Nursery, Shencottai

A State Coconut Nursery was started in Shencottai on 5th August 1958. This nursery produces and distributes tall, tall X dwarf and dwarf variety coconut seedlings. The area of nursery is 1.95 acres.

Rice Research Station, Ambasamudram

The Rice Research Station at Ambasamudram was opened at 1937 with the objective of providing facilities for the improvement of the local varieties of paddy by pure line selection and hybridisation to try the possibilities of introducing new varieties of paddy from other places and also for conducting manurial and cultural experiments. The Station was started in an area of 20.00 acres of double crop wet land and 2.18 acres of dry land. It evolves high yielding varieties of rice that would suit different agro climatic contexts which quality would resist major insects and diseases, providing techniques on seed and main field treatments for improved rice varieties, and suitable manurial recommendations for rice varieties under cultivation and for pre-release cultures culturing native soil fertility with bio-fertilizer, forecasting insects or diseases in relation to weather conditions and providing suitable plant protection measures are the other functions of the station. This Research station has released twenty improved strains in rice, of which the strains ASD16, ASD18 and ASD19 are being popularly cultivated in many areas of Tamilnadu.

Agricultural Extension Centres

Details of Agricultural Extension Centres where Agricultural Inputs (Seeds, bio-Fertilizers, Bio-Pesticides) can be purchased: