Category Archives: Business & Economy

Kundha tea factory in the Nilgiris turns 50

Business & Economy

Udhagamandalam :

The Kundha Industrial Co-operative Tea Factory, the first of its kind in the Nilgiris, is all set to celebrate its golden jubilee on January 4. Chief minister, J Jayalalithaa will preside over the golden jubilee function of the tea factory located at Yedakadu Mattam near Ooty.

Tea plantation in the Nilgiris is more than 100 years old. Though tea was, reportedly, grown in the Nilgiris in 1839 on an experimental basis; it was only during 1855 that attempts were made to grow tea in the district on a commercial scale. However, small tea farmers were not able to sell their green tea leaves for a better price to the private tea factories.

Feeling the pinch, in the late 50s, about 72 Badaga small tea farmers from Yedakadu village expressed their willingness for setting-up a co-operative tea factory to promote small tea growers. The members were headed by S Madha Gowder of the same village. Their plea turned reality in 1958 as the industries department gave consent for them to come up with a co-operative tea factory. Subsequently, with 72 members, the co-operative society was registered and the construction work of the tea factory was started at Yedakadu Mattam. The factory was launched with seven board members from Yedakadu village with Madha Gowder as president.

On September 20, 1962, the first Industrial co-operative (INDCO ) tea factory, namely, Kundha INDCO, in the Nilgiris was inaugurated by the then industry minister, R Venkataraman. The apex body INDCOSERVE for upcoming INDCO tea factories was also set up in the same year.

According to the officials of INDCOSERVE, in the past fifty years the Kundha INDCO tea factory has shown tremendous developments in many ways and is likely to become self reliant soon. Now there are about 15 INDCO tea factories functioning in the Nilgiris at various locations.

Nilgiris is home to around 70,000 small tea growers. Tea prices have always been fluctuated with highs of as much as 20-22 but it hit a rock bottom in 1999. The head log of the tea crises had its unchecked tumultuous period of six years from 1999 to 2005. With cultivation in over 47699 hectares of land, the Nilgiris produces about 90 million kg of tea annually.

On Friday, Jayalalithaa will also release the golden jubilee souvenir of the Kundha INDCO factory apart from inaugurating the sale of 250 gm pack of ‘Ooty Tea’ manufactured by INDCOSERVE.

source: http://www.m.timesofindia.com / Home> TNN / January 03rd, 2013

Conference on ‘Vision 2023’

Business & Economy

A conference on “Vision 2023” of the State Government and review of the Rural Livelihood Mission are scheduled to be conducted here at the Collectorate on January 4.

According to an administration release, the review meeting would be conducted by P.Amutha, IAS, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tamil Nadu Women’s Welfare Development Corporation.

The review meeting of SRLM is scheduled to be conducted at 2 p.m, with presentations from BDOs, Assistant BDOs.

According to the release, all line departments that include the departments of Revenue, Public Distribution, Education, Backward classes and Adi Dravidar Welfare, Forests, Agriculture, Dairy Development, Sanitation and Public Health, Animal Husbandry, Industries, MSMEs, TWAD Board, Tangedco, NABARD and banks among others shall participate.

The line departments are mandated to participate in the conference and the review meeting that would follow, the press release further said.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Staff Reporter / Nagapattinam, January 02nd, 2013

Turmeric auction centre opened in Tirupur

Business & Economy

new facility: Collector G. Govindaraj inaugurated turmeric auction centre in Tirupur on Monday. / Photo: M. Balaji / The Hindu

The turmeric auction centre has been officially opened by the Department of Agri Business and Marketing on Tirupur district at the Regulated Market campus on Monday. The trading would commence on January 9 and from then on it would be held on every Wednesday.

With this, the farmers raising the crop over 3,000 ha in the district in the predominant turmeric cultivating belt of Avinashi, Pongalur, Palladam, Muthur, Karaipudur and Sevur areas could use the facility to sell the crop without going to the auction markets in Coimbatore and Erode districts.

Though the establishment of the facility has come as a relief, many of the farmers are keeping their fingers crossed on to see the efficiency in its functioning in the coming days.

“Of late, we have been facing delays in the settlement of cash for every trading over a value of Rs. 1 lakh whenever using the similar auction facility at Erode. Officials here should ensure that such delays did not occur,” M. Ramasamy, a turmeric farmer from Sevur, told The Hindu.

P. Nallaswami, a turmeric farmer and retired secretary of Coimbatore Marketing Committee, said: “apart from ensuring prompt payments, weighing of the produce should be carried out at the moment of its arrival itself and earmark adequate space for stacking the turmeric so as to avoid the bottlenecks faced by farmers using similar facilities elsewhere.”

In Tirupur, the Department of Agri Business and Marketing was extending a plethora of facilities which include among others computerised marketing process right from receiving the stock till it was sold, which was installed by Nagarjuna Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited.

Loan facility

A Shanmugam, superintendent of Regulated Market, said pledge loans facilities were also up for the farmers up to Rs 2 lakh to meet the working capital needs to raise the next set of crop.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> TamilNadu / by R. Vimal Kumar / Tirupur, January 01st, 2013

Solar energy products shine at Tiruchi expo

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Science & Technologies

Mu.Mohan, State chairman, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Builders’ Association of India, visiting a stall at Buildrock-2012 exhibition in the city on Tuesday. / Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu

The exhibitors believe that in the backdrop of power shortage, people will give a serious thought to making purposeful investments

For those contemplating solar power for homes, commercial buildings and industrial establishments, all roads should lead to Buildrock 2012 exhibition presented by Builders` Association of India at the grounds of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan School near Karur Bypass Road.

The exhibition featuring various other aspects of home right from electrical, flooring, pipes, roofing, water heating and storage, plywood doors and interior decoration promises to serve as a one stop spot for keen planning and budgeting prior to commencing construction.

In the backdrop of power shortage and indications that the situation may not turn to normal for at least the next couple of years, the exhibitors of solar energy products believe that constructors will give a serious thought to make purposeful investments.

Solar panels of various sizes along with their power generation capacities are on display. Realtors and builders of residential apartments have also sought to make their presence felt.

According to J.Sankaran, chairman, Buildrock, about 50 per cent of the 66 exhibits at Buildrock 2012 showcase new products.

Be it aluminium coated galvanised sheets or low-weight concrete blocks with higher sturdiness and efficiency, visitors will be quick to learn the advantages of the products, organisers promise.

State Chairman, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Builders’ Association of India, Mu Mohan inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of Chairman of Tiruchi Chapter Jawagar and Secretary M.Thirusangu.

From the perspective of consumers, the exhibition is being organised at a time when there are price fluctuations in the cost of construction materials. The exhibition will be kept open for public until December 30.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Special Correspondent / december 26th, 2012

Kodai gets more funds for growing fruits & veggies

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Madurai :

Kodaikanal block in Dindigul district has received Rs 37 lakh under the  Integrated Horticulture Development Scheme  (IHDS), as against Rs 6 lakh during the previous years, to augment vegetables and fruit production in the region. This is the highest allocation that this block has received under the IHDS.

According to S Raja Mohamed, deputy director of horticulture, Kodaikanal, understanding the importance of horticultural crops which require minimum water for their cultivation compared to paddy, sugarcane and other food crops and to meet the requirements of farmers in the block, the state government has sanctioned an increased allocation of Rs 37 lakh.

He said there was a need to increase the area under the highly remunerative as well as the nutritionally rich horticultural crops, especially fruits and vegetables, and also motivate farmers to grow fruit plants in their gardens. An area of 1,270 hectares under fruits and vegetable crops was to be developed with this fund, during the current fiscal under IHDS. The scheme carries an attractive subsidy.

Under IHDS, farmers can get high-yielding as well as hybrid seeds such as carrot, beans and peas at 50 percent subsidy for a maximum of half a hectare per farmer and high-yielding fruit plants like avacado, acidlime, plum grafts, peach grafts, pear grafts and coffee seedlings at 50 percent subsidy to the maximum of one hectare per farmer, he added.

Vegetable seeds like beans procured from the National Horticulture Research Development Foundation (NHRDF) , Hubli, Karnataka, and carrot seeds procured from the National seed Corporation, were being distributed to needy farmers in Kodaikanal.

Farmers can enroll their names in the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) for banana and potato crops in the block. All farmers including share croppers and tenant farmers growing notified crops in the notified areas are eligible for coverage. Kodaikanal, Pannaikadu and Thandikudi firkas are notified under this NAIS  in Kodaikanal block for rabi season.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / December 25th, 2012

APJ Abdul Kalam uncovers 10-point agenda for India beyond 2020

Business & Economy, Education, Leaders, Uncategorized

New Delhi:

Former President-turned best-selling writer APJ Abdul Kalam uncovered a 10-point agenda for India beyond 2020 as a nation where the rural and urban divide will be reduced to a thin line, distribution of wealth will be equitable and education and value system will not be denied to people. The unveiling was performed on Tuesday.

The 10 commandments included “a responsive and transparent government”, “access to healthcare” and “sustainable growth”.

Outlining his vision of a shining India of the future at the Annual Penguin Lecture Series 2012, “Beyond 2020: Sustained Development Missions For the Nation”, Kalam said “sustainable development of the nation was the essence of India beyond 2012”.

Three aspects were the key to ensure sustainable development of the country, Kalam pointed out.

The nation needs “a steady economic growth of 9 per cent with minor variations of 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent”. The job profile of the future was “futhering of the technological nature of business and market aspirations” for sustainability that would provide continuous income and growth assurance in such a situation, the former president said.

“For millions of years, humanity has been taking more and more resources from the nature. Time has come to take less and less from nature to achieve sustainability, the formula for which is ‘a+b+c’. It will lead to well-being of the people and continuous growth,” he said.

The ex-missile man, who has been working on sustainable model for civic amenities in rural India under the project “Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)” since 2003, said it could improve the lot of 700 million people who live in 600,000 villages of India by developing systems that would “act as enablers” for inclusive growth.

He said “physical connectivity, knowledge connectivity and electronic connectivity” could bring “economic connectivity” to people in the rural areas by acting as broad enabling systems.

Kalam cited a new concept — user connectivity pyramid — to implement “integrated solutions needed for technologies and applications to be sustainable”. He said “Societal Development Radar” — another new apparatus that he was trying to give shape — could become a watchdog by “monitoring and reviewing the user connectivity pyramid”.

Explaining the nature of the user connectivity pyramid, the former president said it was built on “natural resources, info-communication, convergence of technology, societal business model, applications and at the bottom end, the users”.

He used Uttar Pradesh with its population of 100 million young people as a case study to explain his development model.

Lauding the role of publishing houses, the former President, who has authored books like the “India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium”, “Ignited Minds” and “Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges” said big publishers like Penguin could become partners in the country’s development success story by “presenting more researches and papers on the country’s success stories in the development in the form of books and e-books”.

source: http://www.pardaphash.com / Home> Education / by Vishal Srivastav / Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

Solar-powered bus shelters opened in Tiruchi

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Science & Technologies

tapping alternate energy: (From left to right) MLAs M. Paranjothi and R. Manoharan, P. Kumar M.P., V.T. Dhandapani, Corporation Commissioner, and Collector Jayashree Muralidharan at the inaguration of solar-powered bus shellter at Karumanadapam on Saturday. / PHOTO:R.M. RAJARATHINAM. / The Hindu

MP sanctioned fund for about 21 modern bus shelters in the city

Two solar-powered bus shelters, established with funding from the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), were declared open by Collector Jayashree Muralidharan at Karumandapam on Saturday.

The Collector opened the shelters in the presence of P. Kumar, MP, who has sanctioned fund for about 21 modern bus shelters in the city under his MPLADS, M.Paranjothi and R.Manoharan, MLAs, and A. Jaya, Mayor.

The bus shelters are fitted with solar panels which will power the LED lights inside them, mobile phone charger, and FM radio.

RS. 4.50 LAKH EACH

The two shelters have been established at a cost of Rs.4.50 lakh each.

Each shelter has six chairs for commuters and the solar lighting system will have an automatic control mechanism.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> States> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Tiruchi, December 09th, 2012

Red gram cultivation reintroduced in Ramnad

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

The Agriculture Department has reintroduced the cultivation of red gram, one of the major pulses, in this drought prone district after a gap of more than two decades.

MIXED CROP: Farmers transplanting red gram seedlings at RS Mangalam block in Ramanathapuram./  Photo: L. Balachandar / The Hindu

Red gram was cultivated in the district as a mixed crop with paddy in rain fed areas about 25 years ago and farmers gave up the cultivation after finding it non-remunerative. Since then, the cultivation of the pulse came to a nil, with farmers settling down for paddy cultivation.

As production of Red gram was witnessing a fall in recent years, Collector K. Nanthakumar had suggested the reintroduction of the crop, after which, the department has selected progressive farmers to cultivate the pulse as a pilot project on about 20 hectares, scattered in all the blocks in the district, Joint Director of Agriculture Ka. Sakthimohan told ‘The Hindu.’

“We have taken up Red gram cultivation on an experimental basis on two hectares each in the blocks, using latest technology and practice of raising nurseries and transplanting under the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP),” he said.

Discarding the direct sowing practice, the farmers have transplanted 35 to 40 days-old seedlings with a planting spacing of 5X3, significantly reducing the seed cost in the new method of cultivation. If 5 kg of seeds were required for direct sowing for a hectare, 2.2 kg of seeds were enough under the seedling transplantation method, he said.

The farmers have been advised to follow integrated nutrient, pest and water management for better yield, he said adding farmers are expected to get a yield of about 1.5 tonnes per hectare. Unlike the paddy crops, which required more water, three to four irrigation during the critical periods of growth-transplanting, flowering and pod-filling stages would be enough for Red gram, he said.

For achieving a good yield, the farmers have been asked to follow “earthing up” for supporting the plants and to avoid weeds. The farmers have also been asked to do nipping after 20 to 30 days after transplanting, which results in sprouting of secondary and tertiary branches, he said.

A farmer in R. S. Mangalam block, who started Red gram cultivation, assisted by the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) said he has transplanted 500 seedlings in a hectare and expected a yield of 1 to 3 kg per plant and an overall yield of 1 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare.

Z Kamaldeen, Assistant Director of Agriculture, R.S.Mangalam block, described Red gram as an apt crop for rain-fed areas and best suited for this district. Unlike the ‘water loving’ paddy, Red gram consumed minimum water. The crop would also require only minimum fertilizer and the farmers could earn more revenue with less investment, he said.

More farmers would be encouraged to take up Red gram cultivation in this block as they could rotate the crop throughout the year and ensure sustainable income, he said. Self Help Groups would be involved in raising seedlings, he added. The foliage could be used to feed cattle, he added.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Ramanathapuram, December 05th, 2012

Corporation dishes out siddha food

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Chennai :

Chennai Corporation’s canteen has gone herbal. Providing a haunt for the city’s health conscious, it now follows the motto ‘food is medicine and medicine is food’. Making the whole package at Ripon Buildings even more mouth-watering is the subsidized pricing.

The menu boasts of traditional south Indian food items which have been given a twist with some exotic medicinal plants and herbs. The canteen serves avarampoo (Cassia auriculata) idli, avarampoo dosa, tail millet idli, mudakathan keerai (balloon vine) dosa and thoothuvalai (purple-fruited pea eggplant) dosa. “The avaram flower prevents diabetes. Eating it once a week in any form will reduce the sugar levels in your body, ” says Dr Veerababu, who runs the canteen.

Kezhvaragu dosa and manathakkali dosa are the other specialities. “Manathakkali cures stomach ulcers. Thoothuvalai prevents phlegm formation in thebody,thus preventing cold and cough,” reads a poster in the canteen. The canteen also serves herbal tea, herbal soups, juices and ginger buttermilk.

However, the one dish that caught everyone’s attention was the vegetarian omelette. “This helps people who have recently turned to vegetarianism or veganism,” says Dr Veerababu.”Itis madeof neermulli which has the properties of egg. The mixture is beaten with vegetables on a pan and made into an omelette,” he says.

Every one may like the pricing. The idlis are priced between 2 and 5, paniyarams, omelette anddosas at 5 and meals at 15.”The aim is to draw daily wage labourers to eat healthy foodinsteadof cholesterol-ridden food from unhygienic stalls,” said a corporation official. The idea to set up a siddha food canteen struck the mayor when he opened Dr Veerababu’s siddha food restaurant in Saligramam six months ago. While the canteen drew huge crowds on Wednesday, some remained sceptical about the venture.

“Eating healthy food is alright once a week, but we would want to eat plain dosa and idli daily. These don’t appear on the menu,” said a staff member. A counter outside the canteen also sells banyan branches to clean teeth.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Chennai / by Pratiksha RamKumar, TNN / December 06th, 2012

IIM-Tiruchi to set up incubation centre

Business & Economy, Education

Madurai, NOV. 27:

Indian Institute of Management – Tiruchi (IIM-T) plans to offer free consultancy through its proposed incubation centre in the areas of finance, branding, human resource management and marketing.

According to Prof Prafulla Agnihotri, Director, IIM, the initiative is intended to impart an economic thrust to the region. It will be akin to OPD (Outpatient Department) in hospitals. Prospective entrepreneurs will be provided space to operate at a very nominal cost and centralised facilities will be made available free of cost.

Even after they moved out after establishing their businesses, the centre will continue to render hand-holding support.

Entrepreneurship in manufacturing sector is the key for the growth of the regional economy. Faculties will visit the incubation centre on a daily basis and render free consultancy for small and medium enterprises.

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> News > Education / by the Hindu Correspondent  / Madurai, November 27th, 2012