Poor management: Vengalam farm witnesses sapling wastage amid negligence

Perambalur: A huge number of seedlings of numerous varieties at the state horticulture farm in Vengalam, Perambalur district, have been wasted for the past two years due to negligence on the part of authorities and poor management of the premises. Local farmers have made it clear that the horticulture department did not take any interest in selling or distributing saplings of various trees, such as mango, guava, and coconut, to farmers.

The 4.72-hectare farm was established in 2018 at a cost of Rs 2 crore with an aim to sell seedlings to farmers at subsidized rates. However, saplings wasted amid carelessness by department staff. Polyhouses and weed-infested premises were also spoiled amid poor maintenance. As per the sources, the farm was set up to produce around 1.3 lakh saplings every year. But it totally failed to achieve this target.

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S. Ragavan, a farmer from Perambalur, stated, “Saplings should be sold within eight months of growth, but thousands remain unsold for over a year. They are now unusable, leading to government losses.” Another farmer, J. Azhagan, suggested distributing the saplings for free through regular farmer meetings to avoid wastage.

The state government spends Rs 15–20 lakh annually for the maintenance of farms and other expenses, including electricity and labour. In fact, farmers believe that funds are not being utilized properly. A senior horticulture official acknowledged the issue, attributing it partly to heavy rains causing weed overgrowth. “We are assessing the situation and taking steps to improve the farm,” the official said.

Farmers have urged the department to improve the management of farms and use the resources in a better way for the benefit of both the farmers as well as the government.