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In a first-ever separate Budget for agriculture, the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has set three long-term goals so as to ensure the State’s food and nutritional security in the next 10 years. For FY22, ₹34,220 crore has been provided for agriculture and related departments.
Presenting the agriculture budget, MRK Paneerselvam, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said that Tamil Nadu will be brought within the first three position in the country in production of foodgrain and commercial crops such as coconut, cotton, sunflower, and sugarcane. Steps will also be taken to get the State among the top three in productivity of foodgrains and select commercial crops, he added.
The third goal, he said, was to bring an additional 11.75 lakh hectares under the net area sown so as to increase the cropped area from 60 per cent to 75 per cent in 10 years. The State has fixed food grain production target at 125 lakh tonnes for FY22.
Water management
To turn fallow land productive, water resources such as farm and percolation ponds, check dams and borewells will be augmented and millets, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables and fruits grown to increase the net sown area.
The Minister announced several measures for the welfare of farmers including allocation of ₹2,327 crore for implementing a crop insurance scheme this fiscal and setting up a division in the Agriculture Department for organic farming. It will also allocate ₹4,508 crore to the State Electricity Board for free supply of power to farms.
It will install 5,000 solar pump sets up to a capacity of 10 HP with 70 per cent subsidy in FY22. This scheme will be implemented at an outlay of ₹114.68 crore with State and central government’s funds.
Revival of shandies
The government seeks to revive and expand the Uzhavar Sandhai (farmer market) model. About 50 Uzhavar Sandhais will get a facelift at an outlay of ₹12.50 crore. The government will implement the ‘Millet Mission’ in 18 districts with an outlay of ₹12.44 crore with Central and State government funds.
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