TN govt announces spl package for paddy growers, international exposure visit for farmers

Chennai: Tamil Nadu government will implement a special package to increase the paddy area and food grain production during Kar, Kuruvai and Sornavari seasons, in 29 non-Cauvery Delta districts at an outlay of Rs 102 crore, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerslvam informed the Assembly on Saturday.

These cultivation seasons begin in the months of May-June, June-July, and April-May respectively for 120 days long paddy crops.

The package includes a subsidy for machine planting and quality certified seeds to farmers. A similar package will be provided to farmers in the Delta districts to increase the area and food grain production during Kuruvai and a sum of Rs 58 crore will be allocated for the purpose, he said.

Paddy is cultivated on 18 lakh acres in the Cauvery delta districts and 34 lakh acres in non-delta districts in the state.

Making a slew of announcements while presenting the Agriculture Budget for 2025-26 in the Assembly, the fifth after the DMK stormed to power in 2021, Panneerselvam said the government would arrange an international exposure visit for paddy farmers.

"To help farmers learn the latest technologies and implement the same in their fields, 100 progressive farmers will be taken for an exposure visit to Japan, China and Vietnam for which Rs 2 crore will be allocated," the Minister said.

The government would unveil the Tamil Nadu Agroforestry Policy to promote the growing of valuable trees such as Sandal, Red Sanders, Mahogany and Rosewood and to simplify the procedures related to registration, felling, transportation and marketing of timber and to achieve a greener Tamil Nadu.

"Trees improve crop productivity by aiding in rainfall and enhance soil health by shedding biomass. Therefore, agroforestry is encouraged to provide additional income to farmers through the cultivation of high-value trees," Panneerselvam said in his Budget speech that lasted for a little over one-and-a-half hours.

Also, 1,000 Chief Minister’s Farmers Service Centres will be established at an estimated cost of Rs 10-20 lakh, with a 30 per cent subsidy amounting to Rs 3-6 lakh per centre. Rs 42 crore from the State Budget will be earmarked for this scheme.

These centres will serve as hubs for agricultural support, offering essential inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and other farming necessities besides offering expert guidance on enhancing crop productivity, pest and disease management, etc.

“Malaivazh Uzhavar Munnetra Thittam” (The hill farmers development scheme) will be implemented this year at Rs 22.80 crore for the welfare of 63,000 hill farmers in 20 districts. The scheme covers minor millet cultivation, distribution of inputs, area expansion in vegetable crops, farm machinery, value addition, Micro Irrigation and Integrated Farming System, and steps to provide Kisan credit cards.

Maize production will be enhanced in an area of 1.87 lakh acres at Rs 40.27 crore under Union and State funds. Organic farming will be encouraged in 37 districts at an outlay of Rs 12 crore.

Crop Insurance Scheme will be implemented to protect farmers from income loss, he said and added this scheme will be implemented during 2025-26 for Rs 841 crore to cover 35 lakh acres.

"Over the past four years, Rs 1,631.53 crore has been distributed as relief to 20.84 lakh farmers for damages caused in agricultural and horticultural crops. Additionally, Rs 5,242 crore was provided as crop insurance compensation to 30 lakh farmers in the past four years," Panneerselvam said.

Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami termed the Agriculture Budget as an instance of 'DMK's deception tactic' and said the state government has set a record in presenting the Agriculture Budget continuously for five years.

"This Budget, a fitting example of how good the DMK is in deceiving farmers," Palaniswami told reporters outside the Assembly. It belied farmers' expectations, he claimed.

"The Kudimaramathu scheme of renovating waterbodies with community participation was dropped. This government has not brought beneficial schemes like the Athikadavu- Avinashi scheme brought by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa," Palaniswami said.

BJP state chief K Annamalai claimed "the DMK government has presented a lie and a fabrication in the name of the Agriculture Budget." In a post on X, he said the crop cultivation area in the state decreased by four lakh acres from 155 lakh acres last year but this fact was concealed. Instead, the government claimed the area this year increased compared to the extent four years ago. "Why? How stupid does the DMK think the people of Tamil Nadu are?" he asked.

The promise of a minimum support price of Rs 2,500 for paddy and Rs 4,000 for sugarcane has all but become mere talk. "This Agriculture Budget of the DMK government, which continues to deceive farmers, is nothing more than a pile of paper," Annamalai said.

In the Assembly, the Minister said a special incentive of Rs 349 per metric tonne of sugarcane over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price fixed by the Centre would be provided to cane farmers. This gesture of providing a cane price of Rs 3,500 per MT would benefit about 1.30 lakh sugarcane farmers. An amount of Rs 297 crore will be allocated for this scheme.