| Tiruchirapalli,
June 30: Tamil Nadu's Department
of Agriculture today signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with Cadbury
India Limited, one of the leading
cocoa and chocolate manufacturers
in the country, for enhancing cocoa
cultivation in the state.
The MoU was signed by Horticulture
and Hill Crops Commissioner Jagmohan
Singh Raju and Cadbury India Limited
(CIL) Associate Vice President
K P Magudapathy in the presence
of State Agriculture Minister
Veerapandi S Arumugham here.
Talking to newspersons, Mr Arumugham
said objective was to promote
cocoa as an inter-crop in the
coconut fields, since it grew
best in coconut groves.
The average yield of coconut
was stagnating at 4,590 nuts per
acre leading to a low income of
Rs 15,000 per annum in the state.
Cultivation of cocoa was expected
to yield about 1,000 kg of beans
per hectare. Even if it was sold
at Rs 60 per kg, the farmers could
get additional income of Rs 60,000
per hectare and a net profit of
Rs 40,000.
He said as per the MoU, the Commissionerate
of Horticulture would identify
the clusters and farmers for cultivation
of cocoa, render certain financial
and technical assistance under
various government schemes and
through CIL, arrange for technical
assistance and institutional credit
for the farmers. |
