KOOTHATTUKULAM: An expert team appointed by the Central Government visited the bio-farms in the Palakuzha panchayat. Harikrishna Misra and N Raju, scientists of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) in Gujarat, visited the bio-farms which were started on an experimental basis.“Bio-farming will be a success when it is done as group farming on a commercial basis because farming done on individual basis will create problems to the farmers to find markets. The quality of product also increases,” the scientists said. Bio-farming was started in various panchayats in the state under the Agriculture Technical Management Agency (ATMA). Around 210 farmers joined the pilot project, for which 120 acres of land was selected. Paddy, vegetables, tapioca and aromatic plants. were cultivated. Black pepper and nutmeg tree were also included in the list of aromatic species. The government allotted a subsidy of `10,000 per 2.5 acres of land and a portion of the amount was spent for buying bio-pesticides and bio-manures. The ATMA also conducted classes on organic farming. The team visited the earth-worm compost unit of Sasidharan Kalasseriyil, Kozhippilly and bio-farms of Jaice Koonnullil, North Palakuzha. The team also interacted with other farmers in the panchayat. P V Radhakrishnan, agricultural assistant director, P Bindhu, agricultural officer, and V D Santhosh, assistant, accompanied the team.
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