Chennai, Aug 24 (IANS): The Vellore Cooperative Mill in Tamil Nadu will supply wild boar repellent to sugarcane farmers across the state from Friday onwards.
Sources in the cooperative mill told IANS that the repellent had cost Rs 500 per litre with Rs 90 as GST and outstation courier charges will now be available to farmers at half the price. The repellent which is produced by the Agricultural Research Station of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University will be available to be used for the sugarcane farmers of the state from Friday onwards at the subsidised rate.
According to information, the state government has already placed an order for 10,000 litres of the repellent which can cover around 5000 acres of farmland.
Dr. Thirumurugan of the Agricultural Research Station told media persons that the unit has been producing repellent against wild boar for sugarcane farmers since the past four years and has been supplying locally.
The repellent will be placed in small plastic boxes and tied on a wire between wooden poles on the perimeter at about 2.5 feet from the ground. Holes will be bored into these small plastic boxes allowing the repellent to seep out into the field.
Prof. Thirumurugan said that 500 ml of the repellent was enough for an acre sugarcane field.
The Tamil Nadu sugarcane farmers have been reeling under the attack of wild boars and the decision of the Vellore Sugar Cooperative mill to supply wild boar repellent has become a major relief for the sugarcane farmers as the product is also cost-effective in addition to its effectiveness in controlling the wild boar menace.
Surulirajan, a sugarcane farmer in Erode, while speaking to IANS said: "Some of the farmers who have used the repellent informed me that it is good to contain the wild boar menace which has been creating a major nuisance. The mill is supplying the repellent at half the cost with which it was sold earlier and this is a welcome decision. We expects the repellent to help us check the wild boar attack that has been creating major losses to our produce.”