Thanjavur district administration on a mission to sow 1 lakh palmyra seeds

District officials, who started sowing the seeds on Monday, said the initiative will help to create awareness among the public about the benefits of the tree.

Officials said palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) trees help the environment enormously and has played a big role in the rural life. No part of palmyra tree goes wasted and each stage of the tree is used for various purposes. A variety of crafts can be made from palm leaves, which can be considered as alternative to plastic.

Speaking during a function which marked the inauguration of the sowing drive, RDO (Kumbakonam) M Pradeep Kumar said the district administration in association of Vanam, an NGO, has planned to sow at least one lakh palmyra seeds. 

“In the first phase, seeds were sowed on the Sakkottai-Chettimandapam bypass road. They would be sowed on both sides of the road. This apart, the seeds would be sowed on the banks of all the waterbodies in Kumbakonam taluk and the widened road no 20,” he said.

On Monday, the first day, as many as 2,000 seeds were sowed and the remaining seeds would be sowed within six months.

According to the latest survey by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Thanjavur, there are 5 crore palm trees in the State. However, the actual number could be less than that due to a lot of factors. 

By sowing one lakh palm seeds and nurturing them, we want to raise awareness among the people to safeguard the existing trees and reap its economic benefits, the RDO added.

“It usually takes 13 years for a palm seed to grow and mature. That is one of the reasons why palm trees are not seen as a viable source of revenue. But if we grow palm trees now, it will benefit the future generations,” said Pradeep Kumar.