CUDDALORE: The National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) has been launched at Annamalai University, Chidambaram, near here. The project to be implemented with an outlay of Rs 7.32 crore has set the objective of providing sustainable livelihood to small and marginal farmers in the select disadvantaged districts. Vice-Chancellor M.Ramanathan said for the implementation of the project, a consortium led by the Department of Agronomy of Annamalai University had been formed. Partner institutions The partner institutions included Dhan Foundation of Madurai, Vedapuri Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Kilnelli and the BMT Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Chengipatti. Under the project the peasants in the four districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Villupuram and Tirunelveli, identified as the disadvantaged districts by the Planning Commission, would be covered, Dr Ramanathan said. In these districts the consortium would promote integrated farming system based on technological interventions. For the purpose these districts had been classified into three clusters depending on the agro-climatic conditions as follows: wetland clusters, rain-fed upland clusters and coastal shore farming clusters, Dr Ramanathan added. Outlay A.P.Srivastava, national coordinator, NAIP, New Delhi, said the World Bank credit of US $ 200 million and a contribution of US $ 50 million from the Centre together formed the total outlay of the NAIP and the 23 sub-projects had been sanctioned to work on disadvantaged districts throughout the country. The primary objective of the project was to create model villages to offer viable and innovative agro-techniques for livelihood security, he said. District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo dwelt at length on the on-going agricultural development projects being implemented by the district administration. Mr. Ratnoo said that any agricultural innovation needed to be based on a bottom-up approach, with the involvement of the farmers and with ample scope for flexibility to accommodate their needs. G.Kuppuswamy, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, explained the project objectives. Rm.Kathiresan, the consortium principal investigator, was presented with a memento for winning the project. He said the project would continue for four years, with seven technological interventions at the project level and five at the cluster level.