Department of Horticulture & Plantation Crops-Thoothukudi

Project Proposal under State Balanced Growth Fund (SBGF)

Title of the Project:

ADOPTION OF GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES FOR CHILLI PRODUCTION IN BACKWARD BLOCKS OF

TUTICORIN DISTRICT

Total Project Cost:

Project Location

Thoothukudi district is located in the extreme south-eastern corner of tamilnadu state. Thoothukudi is important district in the
production of chilli crop. In backward blocks such as Vilathikulam, Pudur, Kovilpatti, Karungulam and Kayathar, chilli was grown in
major area as rainfed. The project concentrates on the backward blocks mentioned for improving crop productivity .

Name and Address of the Implementing Agency

Deputy Director of Horticulture

Agri Complex
Collectorate
Tuticorin
Indicate the Parameters in which the Block is backward and the project aims to address

Parameter Income & Employment Health Education Gender

Poverty
Block is √
backward in

Project aims to √
address

Objectives of the project

The overall objectives of the project is to improve the system of agriculture by increasing quality and quantity of produce

The specific objectives of the project are

1. Ensuring safety and quality of produce in food chain

2. Capturing new market advantages by modifying supply chain governance
3. Creating new market opportunities for farmers and exporters in backward blocks of the district.

Problem identified in the Perspective Plan

Present status of the problem

 1. Problems such as reduction in quality of produce due to excess pesticide usage in crop and fetching of low price for produce
due to high price spread in marketing have been found

Specific action suggested improving it

By adopting risk based preventive control method in Good Agricultural practices , quality of produce will be increased

Produce will fetch premium price as, produce will be directly procured from farmers

The problem and its relevant details

Chilli producers of the district are unaware of the Good Agricultural practices to be adopted for increasing quality and quantity of the
produce. Lack of training and resources tend the farmer to limit the marketing potential of the commodity. Lack of technology and
marketing to unorganised sector reduces the standard of living of farmers

Hazardous Impact of Unsafe Fertilizers:

Heavy use of unsafe fertilizers has been witnessed in chilli production of Thoothukudi district. Heavy use chemicals such as
pesticides, fertilizers and weedicide have serious impact on environment via polluting soil, water and air. Unsafe chemical run off to
the water table cause serious effect on soil micro organism thus deteriorating soil health. Besides its impact on environment, chemicals
also adversely affect the health of the community. Farmers who experience routine exposure to pesticide have exhibited neurological
symptoms such as headache and hand tremors.
Fetching of Low Price for Producer in Unorganised Market:

Chilli farmers in Thoothukudi district mostly market their produce to unorganised markets. In such a market condition, Farmers
market produce to middlemen who further markets to consumer. Due to the intervention of many middlemen, the producer’s share in
consumer price is reduced, which tends the farmers to fetch low price for produce. Due to huge price spread in marketing channel,
income of farmer will be abruptly affected.

Lack of quality of produce to meet export Demands

Exporting chillies to international market will guarantee the producers for premium price, but due to adoption of poor package of
practices, fails the produce to meet international demand, thus chilles from these blocks were rejected in export market. Lack of
awarness about standards required in export market, producers fails to fetch premium price.

Lack of Awarness about new technology

The farmers in this region adopt poor agronomical practices and the chilli they cultivate are traditional one with limited yield
potential .There was less usage of machines and equipment on the field and more of human labor are involved in field activity. The
farmers were adopting poor drying and storage practices that were spoiling the quality of their harvest.

No. of people/area affected:

Area around 8000 ha are seem to be affected from adoption of poor agronomic practices.
Activities proposed to be carried out

a. Registration
Beneficiary farmers will be registered and master record for individual farmers will be maintained. In master record farm
history and recommendations for crop production will be recoreded.
Executing Agency: KVK

b .Village Leaders
The farmer participatory extension system for implementing the GAP across the peer farmer group will be streamlined.
Twenty farmers will be selected as village leaders and exhaustive training on GAP will be given to them. By imbibing
knowledge on food safety need in chilli production and good practices for bringing sustained yield by INM,IPM strategy the
village leaders will evolved into a knowledge base change agents of each block.

Executing Agency: Beneficiaries

c. Enlightening farmer on GAP in chilli cultivation:

The farmers will be trained on good agricultural practices and sustainable farming technique through a novel village meet and
field visit extension system. Eight training sessions will be conducted for entire cropping period.

Executing Agency: KVK , TNAU

d. Distribution of Inputs to Farmers

Certified seeds and GAP kit will be issued to farmers. IPM and INM kit will include, pheromone traps, yellow sticky traps and
neem oil
 Executing Agency: Chilli Grower Welfare Association, Virudhunagar

e. Fertilizer recommendation based on soil test

The main aspect of GAP is to impart the knowledge to farmers on judicious usage of chemicals to crop production. Soil and
water sample of all the beneficiaries will be tested and individual field based recommendation of fertilizer schedule will be
given to farmers
Executing Agency: TNAU, Chilli Grower Welfare Association, Virudhunagar

f. Farm Activity Documentation and Traceability system:

A cloud based mobile application Cropin will be adopted for monitoring activities across 500 farmers. It will monitor the
implementation of field activity plan for Chilli crop in a real time. The system will help to capture field activities and helps in
area of planning , managing the farm inputs, implementing best practices, providing advisory to farmer, helping to find cost
involved in each operation, weather alert, bring traceability and generate reports
Executing Agency: Chilli Grower Welfare Association, Virudhunagar

g. Farm Direct Procurement:

Farm Produce will be directly procured from the field. The direct farm procurement of chilli by export company will help the
farmers to have a minimum gain of Rs 200/- to maximal Rs 600/- per quintal.

Executing Agency: Chilli Grower Welfare Association, Virudhunagar

h. Post harvest handling
To reduce post harvest loss silpaulin sheet will be provided for drying. This will improve the quality of produce which inturn
enables the produce to fetch high price. For packing gunny bags will be provided with bar code and GAP symbol, which
facilitate the produce to meet international standard
 BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT

The project aims to improve the living standards of 500 Chilli growers in backward block of Thoothukudi district covering an area of
1000 hectares

Expected Results

 This will facilitate the farmers for cultivating chilli sustainably and with zero pesticide residue.
 The farmers will be able to sell produce directly to the processor at farm gate and thereby getting full share of the produce prices that
fetches in the market. By this they approximately gain 15% of produce value that occurs during the commission and transit to mundi.
 The farmers will be assured of fetching 5% price premium for taking care of food safety aspects in field ,
 The net financial gain by the farmer who grows the IPM chilli and sells directly at farm gate will be more than 20%
 The ICT enabled field advisory system and timely supply of need based inputs by the processor will help farmer to increase the overall
yield from 6 Qtl/ acre to 8 Qtl/ acre
 Due to intensive knowledge sharing and focused intervention form all sector the average livelihood farmer will be raised substantially

Nature of the Project

Project proposed will be new scheme and no parallel schemes are available in the district.

Implementation Agency

On ground level for the activities such as training and monitoring KVK will be employed. For the activities such as registration and
providence of inputs Department of horticulture, Tuticorin will be employed. TNAU will facilitate for soil testing and technical
guidance. Chilli grower Welfare association will provide Inputs and kits for implementing project.
BUDGET PROPOSED FOR THE PROJECT

Name of the Descripition of the Cost Per No of Estimate

S No Activity items Unit Units cost Contribution From
SBGF Community Other
(in Rupees) Fund Contribution Schemes Total
Non Recurring

Mobile for village

leader and Web
enabled Central
Machinaries office computer 250000 1 150000

Sustainable Inputs
for 1000 ha (Seeds,
Purchase of Goods INM & IPM kit,
& Services Silpaulin) 10000 1000 10000000
Soil & Water
Testing
Training &
Exposure Visit
4 trainings imparted
Village leaders on Crop production
training and harvest 20000 4 80000
 Avg 500 farmers
will be covered for
Farmer level 8 sessions with ratio
training and meeting of 50
Expenses farmers/training 5000 80 400000
Others
GAP certification
and documnetation
cost 250000 1 250000
Sub Total 10880000
Recurring Cost
KVK staff salary
Registration, Record for monitoring and
Manitanence record keeping
Mobile recharge,
Travelling
Village leaders allowance @ Rs
Incentive 5000/month 60000 20 1200000

Gunny bags with

GAP seal and Bar
Harvest and Post code for traceability
Harvest handling @ 100 bags/ha 45 100000 4500000
Recurring Cost total 5700000
Total Project Cost 16580000
Implementation Plan and Time Frame

Activities Jan Feb Mar Ap May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Activity 1 Registration
& selection
of village
leaders
Activity 2 Training Training Training Training
Activity 3 Input
Distribution
Activity 4 Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring
Activity 5 Harvesting
Monitorable outcome by Adoption of the project

Direct Benefit
Indirect
Traditional Agriculture adopted field GAP Adopted Field Benefit Total Area Types of
Yield Amount Total Yield (in Amount Total Benefited benefit
S NO (Kg/ha) (Rs/Kg) (Rs/ha) Kg) (Rs/Kg) (Rs/ha) (in Ha) accrued
1 1976 65 128440 1482 60 88920 88920 1000

Increase in
quality of
produce and
Direct productivity
Benefit 39520 of land

Indicators of Achievement of the project

Expected level
Present level
Sl.No. Backward (after
Relevant Development (before Start of
Parameter completion of
Indicator the project)
the project)
1 Income & Poverty Income
Means of Verification

Continuous Monitoring and record keeping are the main aspects of GAP. In this project records about farm history, package of
practices adopted are recorded and periodically inspected by KVK. Visual inspection and demo sessions will be organised at regular
intervals by Department of Horiculture, Tuticorin.

Project Sustainability

GAP projected for one cropping season will create the impact among the producers for adopting sustainable agriculture methods for
the production of upcoming seasons, thus this project will have life long sustainability among the beneficiary farmers. Further it is
anticipated that, the non beneficiary farmers after witnessing the benefits of project will adopt GAP for chilli production. This project
will direct the farmers to approach organised sector for marketing instead of choosing traditional marketing channel, this will improve
social and economic condition of the farmers in the backward block which inturn will bridge the gap between developed and
backward blocks.