Abstract

The challenge of stepping up agricultural production was indeed accepted by the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department as a developmental programme despite a variety of age old hurdles.. "Intensive cultivation", "conversion of single crop into double crop." and "extending area" were but a few favourite phrases which found their place in various plans dating back to "Grow more Food Campaign" in India. But the fact has remained that in Thanjavur District, the "rice bowl of Tamil Nadu" notwithstanding intensive propaganda for double-cropping, the area remained static at the level of three lakh acres out of a net area of 12 lakhs till 1967 kuruvai season. An attempt is made in this paper to highlight the different aspects and the methods employed as also the related factors that could be intimately associated with the success in the Developmental Project.

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