The ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) organized training cum input distribution programme for the tribal farmers of Pachamalai Hills in Trichy district of Tamil Nadu on 29.11.2023 in association with Directorate of TribalWelfare, Tamil Nadu to create awareness among the tribal farmers about advances in vegetable and fruits production technologies. More than 175 farmers, farm women and rural youth participated in the programme and benefitted. The farmers were distributed with inputs such as vegetable seed kits, vegetable special packets, AMC and fruit plants like Mango, guava and tamarind so that they can adopt the IIHR technologies and appreciate the benefit and to further promotion of horticulture production technologies among them. During technical session, Dr. V. Sankar and Dr. R. Senthil Kumar from ICAR-IIHR, and Dr Rameshkumar and Dr.Arivudainambi from Annmalai University, Chidambaram delivered lectures on vegetables, fruits, honey bee and silkworm rearing and other technologies suitable for Pachamalai hills of Trichy district of TamilNadu. Mr Ponvaithyanathan Consultant from Directorate of Tribal Welfare, Chennai urged the tribal farmers to utilize this opportunity to enhance their family income by adopting innovative horticulture production technologies.This programme was attended by 178 tribal farmers from 3 villages, panchayat presidents and panchayat board members, VAOs, officers from Department of Horticulture, Agriculture and Agriculture Engineering, department of tribal welfare, Members of Malaiarasi FPOs, members of Salom foundation and various NGOs, trusts etc. The entire program was coordinated by Dr. V. Sankar and Dr. R. Senthil Kumar.
