TNBRD conducted a three-day skill training program for rural youth on Agri Drones from December 8th to 10th, 2025 at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Thiruvannamalai. This initiative aimed to benefit farmers in the Thiruvannamalai district and was organized in collaboration with Hand in Hand India, NGO, Kanchipuram and EDLI, Chennai. The program began with a welcome address by Mr. V. Suresh, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK. The inaugural function featured participation from Dr. Y. Joe, President of Hand in Hand NGO and Mr. Sandeep Mukherjee who welcomed the special guests and outlined the objectives and significance of the training. Mr. S. Ramesh, President, Tamil Nadu Rural Development, presided over the event and delivered a special address highlighting the crucial role of drones in creating employment opportunities for youth. Mr. P. Chowthry, Programme Assistant, KVK provided comprehensive explanations and demonstrations on drone operation and effective handling including the application of pesticides and fertilizers on paddy crops. Practical training and demonstrations on drone operation were conducted by Mr. A. Maniraj, Sales Manager and Mr. M. Shahjahan, Drone Engineer, from Avionics Drone Company, Chennai. The training concluded with a valedictory function attended by Mr. Vijay M Neehar, NABARD, District Development Manager, Mr. Chandrasekhar, Mr. Sandha patil, Directors of Hand in Hand India, Mr. Selvakumar, Manager at Hand in Hand and also Subject Matter Specialists from KVK. A total of 31 youths from various villages in the Thiruvannamalai district participated in this training program and gained valuable insights. All trained youth received training certificates, inputs and handbooks.

TNBRD celebrated the World Soil Day on December 12, 2025 at Modaiyur village of  Chetpet block in Thiruvannamalai district with the participation of  52 farmers and farm women. The main aim of the event is to create awareness among the farmers on soil and water health to identify the deficiencies or excesses of plant nutrient in their field.  The program began with a welcome address by Mr. V. Suresh, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK. He detailed the importance of soil testing, water testing and soil test based fertilization for reducing the cropping expenses.                      Mr. P.Chowthry, Programme Assistant (Lab Technician), KVK Thiruvannamalai had convened the event in association with BTM and ATM of ATMA. During the event, a lecture on soil fertility management was delivered, alongside demonstrations of soil and water sampling procedures to the participants. Participants acquired important insights in applying fertilizers based on soil test results, which can lead to cost savings by preventing over-or under-fertilization. In total, 52 soil samples and 20 water samples were collected and analyzed, resulting in the issuance of soil health cards that included fertilizer recommendations based on Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) technology.

The Tamil Nadu Board of Rural Development conducted three separate Palmyrah seed planting initiatives as part of the Green Tamilnadu Mission, organized by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Thiruvannamalai, to promote awareness of sustainable agriculture among the public. The planting activities were coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Thiruvannamalai, ATMA and Government Higher Secondary Schools, facilitating exposure visits for school students to the KVK in Thiruvannamalai with support from the Tamil Nadu Board of Rural Development. These initiatives engaged KVK staff and school students from Government Higher Secondary Schools from Vembakkam, Cheyyar, Anakavour, Arni, Chetpet, Thellar, Vandavasi, Peranamallur block during their educational visits to the KVK. A total of 8355 Palmyrah seeds were planted along the lakeside and lake bunds of Kilnelli, Thiruvadirayapuram, Pillanthangal, Chithathur, Sanarapandai, Kanagampakkam, Kaganam, Karanthai, Namandi and Vembakkam villages of Thiruvannamalai district.

ICAR KVK Thiruvannamalai organized a Kisan Mela aimed at enhancing the livelihoods of Tribal farmers and farm women under the TSP, in collaboration with the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, Kerala on 10.09.2025. The event was chaired by Mr. S. Ramesh, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Board of Rural Development. Dr. K. Mayakrishnan, Subject Matter Specialist (Animal Science) extended a warm welcome to all participants and lectured on various central and state government initiatives designed to improve the socio-economic conditions of Tribal farmers. Dr. V. Chandrasekhar, Principal Scientist, CIFT, Kerala participated as special guest and delivered a keynote address emphasizing the significance of fish farming and the employment opportunities. Mrs. T. Margaret, Subject Matter Specialist (Home Science) informed the farmers about the production of value-added products in fish-based foods and their importance. Mr. R. Vijayakumar, Subject Matter Specialist (Horticulture) offered scientific guidance on various queries from farmers regarding the cultivation of fruit crops. The chief guests distributed five coracles, four deep freezer boxes, two mobile carts and tamarind pulping machine to cooperative farmers’ society for the upliftment of their lives by doing fish catching and value added products.  Mrs. Lavanya, Assistant Director of Horticulture and Mr. Jayabalan, Field Director, SST trust participated. A total of 150 farmers and farm women from different villages were attended the event.

The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is a comprehensive national initiative aimed at modernizing Indian agriculture through scientific outreach, sustainable practices, and the empowerment of farmers. It seeks to encompass over 65,000 villages across 723 districts and is anticipated to directly involve more than 1.3crore farmers, encouraging the adoption of scientific farming methods and fostering sustainable agricultural development. This initiative aligns with the vision of transforming India into the “Food Basket of the World” through agriculture.  The Honourable Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, inaugurated the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ on 29th May 2025.

The ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Thiruvannamalai organized t      hree-day training cum demonstration program focused on value-added fish products from 23rd to 25th January 2025 at Thandarampattu in Thiruvannamalai district. The training cum demonstration aimed to empower tribal families by enhancing their knowledge and value-added fish products thereby improving their livelihoods. Mr. V. Suresh, Senior Scientist and Head of KVK Thiruvannamalai, inaugurated the event and emphasized its significance for the welfare of the tribal community. He highlighted the potential of fish farming in improving the economic conditions of tribal families. Shri. Prabhu, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Thandarampattu provided detailed information about various schemes offered by the state fisheries department. He also discussed the scope and opportunities in fish farming and encouraging participants to explore this sector for sustainable income generation. Dr. K. Mayakrishnan, SMS Animal Science, delivered an informative lecture on advanced fish farming techniques. He also shared low-cost, sustainable practices that can be adopted by tribal farmers to enhance productivity and profitability. Mrs. Margaret, SMS Home Science, highlighted the importance of value-added fish products and their nutritional benefits. She conducted live demonstrations on preparing various fish-based products like Fish cutlets, Fish soup powder and Fish fingers. Additionally, she explained the economic viability of producing and marketing these value-added products, providing insights into potential income generation. A total of 26 tribal farmers and farm women actively participated in the program.  This training reflects its commitment to the welfare and economic upliftment of tribal families through agricultural and allied activities.

Celebration of World Soil Day was organized by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Thiruvannamalai at Vilankuppam Village of Jammunamarathur block on 05.12.2024 especially for scheduled tribes. The programme was started with a welcome address by Mr.Ashok, Agronomist of Srinivasa Service Trust, Jammunamarathur. Mr. V. Suresh, Senior Scientist and head delivered a special address on the theme of “Caring for soils: measure, monitor, manage”.  He instigated the farmers to do Soil sampling for soil health improvement. He also added KVK role and activities towards improve the farmer economics in the district. Shri. P.Narayanan, SMS Plant Protection had delivered a lecture on use of bio inputs in organic farming for improving soil fertility and also role of green manures and vermi composting in soil health management.  Dr.K. Mayakrishnan, SMS Animal Science explained the importance of livestocks in soil health management. Mr.P.Chowthry had demonstrated the soil sampling techniques and water sampling methods in the event. In this event, the total number of 60 ST farmers, farm women and officials were participated and distributed the soil health cards. And also collect the 100 soil samples from farmers of nearing villages.

The ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Kilnelli conducted Animal Health Campaign aimed at raising awareness and improvement of health of livestock in the villages of Kalasthambadi, Kunniyandhal, Kiliyappattu and associated hamlets within the Kilpennathur block from 20th to 26th November, 2024. The campaign was inaugurated by Mr. V. Suresh, Senior Scientist and Head, also he emphasized the significance of effective livestock management practices. During the campaign, Dr. K. Mayakrishnan, Subject Matter Specialist, Animal Science, provided insights on deworming practices for cattle and small ruminants, addressed issues related to repeat breeding, highlighted the importance of timely vaccinations and discussed feeding management strategies. Deworming was done for cows, sheep and goats. Also dewormer was distributed to the livestock farmers. Mrs. Usha, District Development Officer representing the ICICI Foundation was narrated schemes available for the benefit of farming community for enhancement of income in agriculture and allied activities.  In total, 348 livestock farmers were benefited from the campaign, covering 816 livestock across in six villages.