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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | For Tamil Nadu farmers, amla cultivation bears fruit

For Tamil Nadu farmers, amla cultivation bears fruit

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published Published on Feb 23, 2011   modified Modified on Feb 23, 2011
In 2000, it was grown in a mere 46 hectares in State

Cultivation peaked during 2010-11 in 9,020 hectares

The commercial cultivation of the Indian Gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis), popularly known as Amla, is fast gaining ground in Tamil Nadu.

Amla, called `Nelli' in Tamil, took commercial roots in the State a decade ago. It was a humble beginning then for this wild fruit at a time when other crops such as mangoes, citrus etc were accorded top priority.

In 2000, it was grown in a mere 46 hectares in the State with 5684 tonnes of production. A series of awareness programmes, seminars and workshops, especially by Salem-based The Aonla (Amla) Growers Association of India, has started bearing fruits.

Association president Sreekant S Mehta, who has been spearheading the `Amla Movement' in Tamil Nadu said, “It has now been a focus crop of the National Horticulture Mission, which offers many schemes to the farmers to promote the commercial cultivation of amla. The crop which was rain-fed earlier, now has been brought under micro-irrigation. The use of chemicals will cause adverse reaction since it was being consumed for its medicinal and therapeutic values.”

Mr. Mehta has been instrumental for successfully hosting three national-level workshops and seminars on amla cultivation, twice at Salem where the production was high and one at Madurai, mainly to woo the farmers and stakeholders in the cultivation of this fruit.

He said that in 2003, the area under cultivation was 2,143 hectares with a production capacity of 30002 tonnes. And in 2007-08, it had extended to 6,000 hectares for a 1.03 lakh tonnes production. The cultivation has peaked during 2010-11 with 9,020 hectares for a production of 1.50 lakh metric tonnes. “The average production worked up to 6.66 tonnes per acre and the total annual revenue came to a staggering Rs 270 crore. “Tamil Nadu farmers would soon reap Rs 1000 crore worth of production next year,” he said.

The farmers in almost all the districts, especially in Salem, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Erode, Sivagangai, Dindigul and Udumalpet have gone in for amla cultivation since “the demand was huge.” At the recent South Zone Silver Jubilee Conference held at the natural environ of `The Nursery,' situated at the foothills of Yercaud near here, a large number of farmers and stakeholders gathered and discussed amla's potential for export.

The Hindu, 24 February, 2011, http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/24/stories/2011022458300100.htm


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