Establishment of Nendran Banana chips industry in Srirangam would enhance Banana growers’ income level.

 Nendran banana transported to Kerala from SEVAI Farm

“Establishment of Nendran Banana chips industry in Srirangam would enhance Banana growers income level” expressed by K.Devendran, a Nendran banana grower of Pettavaithlai.Nendran Banana is grown in Cauvery delta of Trichy. Andanallur Block of Srirangam constituency is centrally located among Nendran banana farming.        Currently, Nendran banana is currently marketed in Kerala and Nendran Banana is used for Nendran chips making in Kerala. The farmers express their aspirations for the establishment of Nendran Chips making unit in some location in Andanallur Block so that the banana farmers will get better price for their Nendran Bananas. K.Devendran, a nendran banana cultivator of Pettavaithlai and several other farmers make a request to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, who has been elected from their constituency to come forward for the establishment of Banana Chips manufacturing unit at Andanallur in order to add value to these farmers produce. The unit will utilize banana to produce chips and powder, for which there is a good demand.K.Devendran said, “Banana is one of the important fruits in India and considered as a rich source of energy producing food. It is consumed in several varieties of preparations and forms. Being highly perishable in nature, there is a need to preserve this important fruit by processing it to produce banana pulp, banana chips, banana powder etc. to cater to the needs of different sections of the society and thereby provides incentives to the growers. Varieties of Banana suitable for chips and powder manufacturing is Nendran, Banana powder is used in weaning foods for infants or in manufacturing bakery and confectionery products. Nendran Chips are the most commonly consumed first generation snack foods. They are used as snack food both in domestic as well as in fast food centres and restaurants; the product can be safely stored for upto six months without any change in quality. The produces are perishable and seasonal and often wasted. It is being increasingly realized that food processing capacity needs to be increased so as to reduce wastage. Value addition can be in the form of grading, cleaning, packing, pre-cooling, primary processing like cutting, trimming, removal of inedible portion, processing to final products etc”. Govin

Trichy DWFC Appreciates “Tucker Trichy”

Tucker Trichy DVD release

Youth population of Trichirappalli has enormous talents in various fields. Thanks to Trichy District Collector Smt.Jayshree Muralidharan, IAS for her encouragement to the youth core team, the friends of Saha, a noted FM Program Executive for documenting the salient features of Trichy in cellular media. Mrs.Jayshree Muralidharan has provided Rs.50000 as a gesture of contribution from Trichirappalli District Welfare committee Fund. This document, namely Tucker Trichy has been posted in “youtube” by the youth team and it celebrates Trichy soil with great passion and pride. In the recent Annual General Body meeting of Trichirappalli District Welfare committee, the Chairperson, Smt.Jayshree Muralidharan, IAS mentioned “the youngsters have produced a cellular documentary on Trichy called Tucker Trichy. They have composed their own song and covered the prominent places in and around Trichy highlighting the history and cultural heritage of Trichy with youth thoughts and creative skills”. It was understood that the youth conducted Painting, Rangoli, Photography, Speech Competition, and Dance Competition in various colleges in Trichy”. A mega cultural meet and launch of Tucker Trichy was conducted on 27th Feb 2013 with the participation of celebrities at Trichy.It is note worthy that several thousands of world population  witnessed this youtube “Tucker Trichy”.A noted musician AKC Natarajan of Trichy,a noted Tamil scholar Prof.So.Sathiyaseelan, the members of Trichirappalli District Welfare committee  and Treasurer K.Govindaraju and other prominent members of DWFC appreciated the gesture of Trichy District Collector Smt.Jayshree Muralidharan, IAS for supporting the youth of Trichy financially to some extent out of DWFC Funds for bringing  out such a document on Trichy in cellular media .-Govin

Dry-season fodder Bank sustains cattle farming

SEVAI,Cow project fodder care taker enlightens

“Dry-season fodder bank sustains cattle farming” insisted by Devi, fodder care taker in SEVAI Cow project. She enlightened a group of women cow farmers on the importance of fodder bank and added. “Livestock play an important role in most small scale farming systems. They provide traction to plow fields, manure which maintains crop productivity, and nutritious food products for human consumption. Dry-season fodder production is a main objective of fodder bank management. When the dry-season is very long or the area of fodder bank very large, the pre-dry-season harvest should occur in phases. This will assure that fodder is available throughout the dry-season. During these pre-dry-season harvests the amount of fodder available may exceed normal needs. The excess may be used to increase animal rations, make silage for dry-season use, or mulch crops. Dry-season regrowth will be slow, and cutting frequencies may need to be extended. Fodder banks are long-term crops that must be properly maintained to continue high productivity. The nitrogen requirement may be self-provided if the species used are nitrogen-fixing. Many species make excellent fodder bank components. In general these species establish readily, grow fast, out-compete weeds, produce high-quality fodder, remain productive under repeated harvest, remain productive during dry seasons and survive on poor sites.In the dry season, the quantity and quality of forage greatly decreases and is generally low in nutritional value. Livestock sustained on such diets often lose weight and productivity. A more practical option is for farmers to establish fodder banks. Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder banks are valuable crops which support productive farming systems. They should be managed intensively. Direct seeding is normally recommended for fodder bank establishment. Seeds of many fodder bank species must be soaked in water or scarified to assure good germination. Sowing depth depends on seed and site characteristics. Fodder bank establishment is also possible with seedlings or cuttings. Although most fodder bank species are considered fast-growing their initial growth is often slow. During this period seedlings are susceptible to weed competition for light, moisture and soil nutrients. Depending on weed growth, the fodder bank should be thoroughly weeded every 2-4 weeks. The use of fertilizers to improve fodder bank establishment is not generally recommended. Fertilization without adequate weed control results in decreased survival and growth of fodder bank species. Control of soil erosion improves with closer in-rows spacing. Once the fodder bank is well established, grass should be allowed to grow in the area between double rows. The natural establishment of poor quality fodder grasses should be closely controlled. It is believed that the first harvest, whether from cutting or grazing, terminates the downward growth of taproots. This is an important consideration in arid and semi-arid environments. Most fodder banks are managed through a cut-and-carry system in which the fodder is harvested and then 'carried' to the livestock. A cut-and-carry system decreases fodder waste from animal damage and the necessity to monitor animals. Fodder is harvested with a minimum of bending or reaching, allowing for efficient movement by the harvester”. -Govin

World Water Day-2013 observed by SEVAI in Trichy

Open pits dug for locating water in low-lying Sirugamani

World Water Day-2013 observed by SEVAI in Arumbuhalnagar Community Centre, Trichy. Women Self help group members of SEVAI and SEVAI Water and Sanitation Group members in large scale participated in World Water Day program.Mrs.Chitra Balasubramanian, Project officer of SEVAI welcomed the gathering and she highlighted the salient feature of importance of the observance of World Water Day.  Mrs.Chitra Balasubramanian further said, “World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources based on the recommendations of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED at their 1992 Conference, subsequently the United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March as the World Water Day.K.Govindaraju,Chairman,South Zone Board of Continuing Education in his key note address mentioned, “UN-Water has called upon UNESCO to lead the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation in view of the organization’s mufti-dimensional mandate in the realm of natural and social sciences, culture, education and communication, and its significant and long-standing contribution to the management of the world’s freshwater resources. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water. The fulfillment of basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent on water. Good management of water is especially challenging due to some of its unique characteristics: it is unevenly distributed in time and space, the hydrological cycle is highly complex and perturbations have multiple effects. In designating 2013 as the UN International Year of Water Cooperation, we need to recognize that cooperation as essential to strike a balance between the different needs and priorities and share this precious resource equitably, using water as an instrument of peace. Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions. In the context of Tamilnadu, this region is reeling under drought this year 2013 as there is no water release from Karnataka to Tamilnadu and also due to the failure of the monsoon. The ground water has gone deep and drinking water is also a challenge even in Cauvery delta. Normal low-lying area of Trichy is also facing severe drought and people need to dig deep pools even to get drinking water for cattle and also provide lifeline water for the standing banana crops. The situation becomes worse as diesel cost had gone up steeply and lift irrigation becomes very costly. Two decades back, people drink potable water available in hand pumps; now the drinking water needs to be bought from water companies where around 40% of the Indian population live under poverty line.Waterday for the common man will be meaningful when he/she gets fresh water at free of cost as they received a few decades back in Tamilnadu, K.Govindaraju concluded by appreciating the political will of Government of Tamilnadu for getting water through justice and certain measures of rain water harvesting etc” -Govin

Ensuring clean, dry bedding decreases the risk of Mastitis infection among milking cattle.

Milkman periodically tests cows udder and teat canal.

“Ensuring clean, dry bedding decreases the risk of Mastitis infection among milking cattle” said by Vet. Surgeon S.Thirunavukarasu in a training program organized for cow farm workers in SEVAI Cow farm. A.Thirunavukarasu further enlightened, “Mastitis in lactating cow is the persistent, inflammatory reaction of the udder tissue. Milk from cows suffering from mastitis has an increased somatic cell count. Mastitis occurs when white blood cells, are released into them mammary, usually in response to an invasion of bacteria of the teat canal. Milk-secreting tissue and various ducts throughout the mammary gland are damaged due to toxin by the bacteria. The mammary gland does not produce any milk. The udder sac is hard, tight, and firm. This disease can be identified by abnormalities in the udder such as swelling, heat, redness, hardness or pain if it is clinical. Other indications of mastitis may be abnormalities in milk such as a watery appearance, flakes, or clots. When infected with sub-clinical mastitis, a cow does not show any visible signs of infection. Mastitis is most often transmitted by contact with the milking machine, and through contaminated hands or materials. A good milking routine is vital. This usually consists of applying a pre-milking teat dip or spray, such as an iodine spray, and wiping teats dry prior to milking. The milking machine is then applied. After milking, the teats can be cleaned again to remove the growth medium for bacteria. A post milking product such as iodine-propylene glycol dip is used, to act as a disinfectant and a barrier between the open teat and the bacteria in the air. Treatment is possible with long-acting antibiotics, but milk from such cows is not marketable until drug residues have left the cow's system. Antibiotics may be systemically injected into the body, or they may be forced upwards into the teat through the teat canal. Cows being treated may be marked with tape to alert dairy workers, and their milk is siphoned off and discarded. Vaccinations for mastitis do exist, but as they only reduce the severity of the condition, and do not prevent new infection they should be used in conjunction with a mastitis prevention program. Typically when clinical mastitis is detected, the cow is milked out and then given an intramammary infusion of antibiotic, ie. infused directly into the infected gland, the cow's udder contains antibiotics which must be kept out of the food supply, that cow's milk must not be put into the milk tank for some specified number of milking after treatment. Typically this milk is either dumped down the drain. Clear identification of the treated cow is critical to be sure the cow's milk is not inadvertently put into the milk tank. It is quite common for a cow to be treated multiple milking with the antibiotics. Inspite of the natural resistance mechanisms of the cow, antibiotic treatment to help her fight bacterial infection, and other methods such as frequently stripping out the milk, some cows are unable to eliminate the infection. These are often considered to be chronically infected cows, and remain a constant source of infection for other cows. Culling of chronically infected cows sometimes is the only way to effectively control spread of mastitis in the herd. Practices such as good nutrition, proper milking hygiene, and the culling of chronically infected cows can help. Ensuring that cows have clean, dry bedding decreases the risk of infection and transmission. Dairy workers should wear gloves while milking, and machines should be cleaned regularly to decrease the incidence of transmission”.-Govin