AGRICULTURE

Dindigul Agricultural District is headed by Joint Director of Agriculture. Dindigul Agricultural District consists of five Agricultural Divisions, namely Dindigul, Natham, Nilakottai, Palani and Vedasandur. Each Agricultural Division is headed by an Assistant Director of Agriculture. There are 13 Agricultural Development Officers and 28 Agricultural Extension Centres in Dindigul District. There is one Soil Testing Laboratory and one Fertilizer Testing Laboratory in Dindigul District.

CLIMATE

Semi and tropical monsoon type of climate is prevailing in the plains of the District. However upper Palanis recorded low temperature and fairly heavy rainfall.

TEMPERATURE

In the plains the maximum and minimum temperature recorded are 37.5'C and 19.7'C in the hill stations 20.6'C and 7.7'C respectively.

LOCATION

Dindigul District is located between 10.05' and 10.9' North latitude and 77.30' and 78.20' East longitude.

RAINFALL

(1) Winter period (January – February)	44.7 mm
(2) Summer period (March – May )	155.1 mm
(3) South West Monsoon (June – Sept.)	218.3 mm
(4) North East Monsoon (Oct. – Dec.)	417.9 mm
Total	836.0 mm

LAND UTILISATION ( As per 2001-02 'G' Return)
SNo.	Classification	Area(Hectare)
1	Forest	138923
2	Barren and Uncultivate lands	36210
3	Land to Non-Agricultural Uses	65013
4	Cultivable Waste	8846
5	Permanent pastures other Grazing Land	6946
6	Land under miscellaneous Tree crops and Grores not included in Nett Area sown	6491
7	Current Fallows	19752
8	Other Fallow Land	123933
9	Nett Area sown	220550
	TOTAL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA	626664

IRRIGATION SOURCES AND AREA
SNo.	Source	Nos.	Area (Ha.)
1	Canals	41	7238
2	Tanks	2616	13436
3	Wells	75690	75878
4	Others	Nil	1668
	Total	78347	98220

CROPPING PATTERN:

(a)Wet lands

I Crop : Paddy (Oct – Feb)
II Crop : Paddy (Feb – March)
I Crop : Paddy (Oct – Feb)
II Crop : Pulses (March – May)
Single Crop : Sugarcane / Banana (Dec – Jan) (June – July

(b) Garden lands

I Crop : Paddy (Aug – Dec)
II Crop : Millets / Pulses / Groundnut/ Vegetables( Dec, Jan – March)

I Crop : Cotton ( Sept – Feb)
II Crop : Millets / Pulses / Vegetables (Feb – March)

Single Crop : Sugarcane / Banana (Dec – Jan) (June – July)

(c) Dry lands

(i) Red soils : Cholam (June – Aug) Cumbu ( Aug – Sept) Groundnut (June – July ) ; Minor Millets; Horsegram ( Sept – Oct)

(ii) Black soils : Cholam (Sept – Oct); Cotton (Sept – Oct); Sunflower ( Sept – Oct)

Normal Area, Production and Productivity of Important Crops

Sl.No	Crop	Area(Ha)	Production(MT)	Productivity(kgs/ha.)	Average Yield Kgs/Ha-(2001-2002)
1.	Paddy	25000	100000(Rice)	4000(Rice)	4680
2.	Millets	112000	112000	1000	1465
3.	Pulses	45300	27180	600	563
4.	Cotton (Bales)	8000	19200	2.4	2.93
5.	Sugarcane (Gur)	5500	66000	12 MT (Gur)	12.56
6.	Oilseeds	36200	50680	1400	1680

STATE LEVEL OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES

Dindigul District farmers secured 2 First prize and 1 Second prize in the 2002-2003 State Level Crop Yield Competition.

The Prize Winner Details with their achievement

SNo	Name and Address of the farmer	Crop and variety	Yield Kgs/Ha	Prize	Prize Money Rs.
1.	Thiru.P.Thangavel GounderS/o Palaniyappa GounderKalipattiThoppampatti BlockPalani Taluk	Cumbu (Irrigated) Mahico	7340 Kgs	State First	RS.8000/-
2.	Thiru. K.ChinnakaruppusamyS/o Karuppana GounderKalipattiThoppampatti BlockPalani Taluk	Cholam (Irrigated) PJH.77	8290 Kgs.	State First	RS.8000/-
3.	Thiru. V.NatarajS/o VelusamyThoppampatti BlockPalani Taluk	Cumbu (Irrigated) Pioneer	6888 Kgs.	State Second	RS.4000/-

SCHEMES IN OPERATION
Name of the Scheme	Contact Person
1. National Watershed Development Project for Rain fed Areas	Joint Director of Agriculture and Project Implementing Agencies
2. Mini kit Distribution	Assistant Director of Agriculture of Concerned Division / Agricultural Development officer of concerned Block.
3. Integrated Cereal Development Programme (Rice)	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
4. Intensive Cotton Development Programme – (Cotton)	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
5. Oilseeds Production Programme	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
6. National Pulses Development Programme	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
7. Accelerated Maize Development Programme	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
8. Crop Yield Competition	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
9. Coconut Seedlings Distribution	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
10. Coconut Black headed Caterpillar Eradication Programme	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block
11. Incentive to Seed farming	AO / ADO of Concerned Division / Block

OFFICERS AND THEIR ADDRESS WITH PHONE NUMBER
Address	Phone No.
Joint Director of Agriculture Collectorate Campus Dindigul – 624 004 Email: jdadgl@yahoo.co.in jdagr.tndgl@nic.in	91-451 - 2461910
Assistant Director of Agriculture Collectorate Campus Dindigul – 624 004	0451 - 2460705
Assistant Director of Agriculture Taluk Office Campus Natham
Assistant Director of Agriculture Near Bus Stand Nilakottai	04543 - 233728
Assistant Director of Agriculture Regulated Market Campus Dindigul Road Palani – 624 601	04545 - 250489
Assistant Director of Agriculture Eriodu Road Vedasandur
Agricultural Chemist Soil Testing Laboratory 3, Co-operative Colony Dindigul – 624 001
Agricultural Chemist Fertilizer Testing Laboratory Society Street Dindigul – 624 001

More Details at http://www.tn.gov.in/department/agri.htm

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