CHENNAI: Honouring innovative farmers, stalls by students of agriculture and horticulture and cultural events formed part of the Uzhavar Peruvizha – Farmers’ Festival held at SRM College of Agriculture Sciences at Vendhar Nagar in Baburayanpettai near Achchirupakkam in Chengalpattu district.
Over 2,000 farmers from Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Villupuram districts participated in the festival. Talks by experts on increasing produce per acre, pest and water management, application of technology, and many other aspects of agriculture and horticulture formed part of the event. Dr C Muthamizhchelvan, Vice Chancellor, SRMIST, appealed to farmers to follow best water management practices, especially in those places where the groundwater was depleting due to several reasons. With rapid industrialisation, large tracts of arable land gave way for factories. Further, real estate expansion resulted in farmlands being converted into residential plots.
The students’ stalls touched upon horticulture, fruits and vegetable processing, value addition, waste management, protected cultivation, commercial horticulture, manure, and fertilizer testing, silk, and mushroom cultivation, bee-keeping, bio-control of pests, and agriculture engineering among others. Cultural programmes by students, including traditional martial arts and dance was also held on the occasion.