DEVELOPMENTAL DEPARTMENTS

THE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

AGRICULTURE.

Organisation.

THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL OFFICER is in charge of the Agricultural Department in Ratnagiri district (In Maharashtra Agricultural Service Class II). He is responsible to the Superintending Agricultural Officer, Bombay Division, Nasik.

The Superintending Agricultural Officer is responsible to the Director of Agriculture, Maharashtra State, Poona. The Director of Agriculture is assisted at the headquarters by four Joint Directors.

The District Agricultural Officer is assisted at the headquarters by an Assistant District Agricultural Officer and three other Agricultural Officers, who are in charge of three revenue sub-divisions viz. Chiplun, Rajapur and Sawantwadi, where they supervise the work of Agricultural Assistants in all the talukas within their jurisdiction. At present there are 15 such Agricultural Assistants in the district.

Of the 11 talukas and four mahals of the district six talukas have been covered by the National Extension Service Blocks. The District Agricultural Officer supervises the agricultural work of these blocks.

The following extension activities are under the supervision of the District Agricultural Officer.

(a) Organising the work of agricultural demonstration centres and holding field demonstrations.

(b) Organisation of crop protection service.

(c) Supervision of crop cutting experiments and conducting trials of improved seeds and fertilisers.

(d) Inspection of offices and depots in the district and guiding the staff.

(e) Submission of periodical reports such as season and crop reports, forecast and weather reports, etc.

(f) Working 'grow more food' schemes.

(g) Carrying out rural development activities.

(h) Working of the taluka seed farms.

(i) Working of the Five-Year Plain schemes.

(j) Preparation of working plans of National Extension Service Blocks, supervising the agricultural work and preparing agricultural schemes which are suitable to particular blocks.

Demonstration and Propaganda.

There are six Agricultural Demonstration Centres instituted on cultivators' farms in the district under the supervision of the Agricultural Assistants, where the owner cultivators adopt the agricultural improvements advocated by the department. Field demonstrations of the standing crops and other improved practices are held during every season.

Propaganda work in connection with the various agricultural activities and schemes is carried out by the Agricultural Assistants. To facilitate the implementation of the schemes every Agricultural Assistant has under his charge, a depot, where improved seeds, manures etc. are stored for sale. The department receives the assistance of the co-operative institutions in the work of distribution of manures, seeds and insecticides.

In addition to the Agricultural Demonstration Centres there are taluka development boards working on similar lines. All these taluka development boards now will be converted into multipurpose societies.

Experiments and Research.

Agricultural Experiments and Research: To carry out the work of agronomic research on various crops research stations are instituted at the following places.

(i) Agricultural Research Station, Shirgaon.-Research on Paddy.

(ii) Agricultural Research Station, Phonda.-Research on Paddy.

(iii) Agricultural Research Station, Hatkhamba.-Research on Paddy.

(iv) Regional Cocoanut Research Station, Bhatye.-Research on Cocoanut.

(v) Regional Cashewnut Research Station, Vengurla.-Research on Cashewnut.

In addition to these research stations it is proposed to start one Mango Research Station in this district. All these Stations are under the direct control of the Superintending Agricultural Officer, Bombay Division.

All the activities in a particular division are under the control of the Superintending Agricultural Officer, who is assisted by two Deputy Directors of Agriculture, one for research and education and the other for engineering, soil conservation and bunding, etc.

In addition to the Deputy Directors, there are also various Specialist Officers under the Director of Agriculture, who have their headquarters at Poona. These Specialist Officers have jurisdiction throughout the State and have subordinates working in sub-divisions and districts. They are in charge of mechanical cultivation, lift irrigation, boring, horticulture, soil conservation, etc. Other officers working under the Director of Agriculture are the Statistician, Plant Pathologist, Agricultural Entomologist, Professor of Agronomy, Economic Botanist, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Cotton Botanist, and Cotton Development and Fibre Development Officers. These Specialist Officers carry on their work in the district with the help of the District Agricultural Officer.

Horticulture.

Horticulture.-There is one nursery at Nandgaon in Kankavli mahal where mango grafts, cocoanut seedlings and other horticultural plants are prepared and sold to the cultivators. In addition to this nursery the Agricultural Research Station Shirgaon and Mirjole school also prepare mango grafts. Similarly, technical advice in horticultural matters is rendered to cultivators. Recently in each National Extension Service Block horticultural schemes were prepared under which long term loans for growing mango, cashewnut, cocoanut and other fruit plants are given to cultivators.

A cashewnut development scheme is sanctioned for this district. One Agricultural Officer is in charge of this scheme.

Agricultural School.

Agricultural School, Mirjole.-The school for the present is established on Agricultural Research Station, Shirgaon, Ratnagiri taluka where the students do their practical work. The school was started in the year 1949 to impart practical training in agriculture and allied subjects viz., poultry, animal husbandry, carpentry, smithy, etc. The two years course includes various subjects viz., agriculture, animal husbandry and dairying, horticulture, co-operation and agricultural legislation, public health and civics., village administration, forestry, agricultural extension, Hindi and rural development. The school with a capacity for 40 students mainly admits candidates from the district. The students are paid stipend of Rs. 20 per month during their training period and are given two khaki uniforms and free lodging.

There is a Superintendent in charge of this school who is assisted by one Agricultural Officer, and three Agricultural Assistants carrying out the work of research and practical education. This school is under the supervision of Superintending Agricultural Officer, Bombay Division, Nasik.

Animal Husbandry.

Animal Husbandry.-The work of livestock and poultry has been transferred from Agricultural Department to veterinary department. Cattle Development Officer supervises the schemes for cattle development which are implemented by the staff of the District Agricultural Officer.

There are no cattle breeding farms or societies in this district. However, at the Gopuri institute one herd of Dangi breed is maintained and the department gives a subsidy of Rs. 200 every year to the institute. The bulls etc. available from this institute are supplied to the cultivators for extending livestock improvement activities in the district.

Government has opened one premium bull centre in scheduled areas of Mandangad taluka for the cattle improvement work entirely at Government cost. Two Dangi bulls are kept at Latwan.

Poultry.

Poultry.-Except a very small unit of poultry attached to the Agricultural School, Shirgaon, there are no other poultry centres in this district. However birds of Red Island Rhodes and White Leghorn breeds are distributed by the department to the cultivators from the stock at Kolhapur or Poona.

District Agricultural Officers.

The organisation of the Agriculture Department in the District.

 The staff of the District Agricultural Officers carry out all the work of various agricultural production schemes etc. in addition to their usual work. The staff of District Agricultural Officers carry out other work directed by the various specialists like Plant Pathologist, Horticulturist, Agricultural Chemists, Economic Botanists, Professors of Economics, Professors of Agronomy, etc.

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