Agriculture Minister M. R. K. Panneerselvam announced on Tuesday that the Tamil Nadu government will offer cooperative crop loans totalling Rs. 14,000 crores to farmers in the state during 2023–2024 and interest-free cooperative loans totalling Rs. 1,500 crores for goat rearing, dairying, poultry, and fisheries.
According to the minister, the cooperative agency gave crop loans of Rs. 12,648 crores to Rs. 1.643 million farmers in 2022–2023. According to the average of the previous ten years, "this represents a rise of 89%," he stated.
According to Panneerselvam, several long-term projects carried out during 2021–22 after the DMK took office as the government in May 2021 led to the addition of 193,000 hectares of land to agriculture, giving rise to a crop coverage of 6.348 million hectares.
After six years, he said, production of 11.19 million metric tonnes of food grains was reached, which is 1.17 million metric tonnes more than that of 2020–21.
The department seeks to implement a suitable plan to stabilise the supply of onions and tomatoes throughout the year. Because tomatoes and onions are produced in excess during seasons, causing gluts, farmers leave the produce in the field without harvesting them. During off-seasons, they also become so expensive that the average person cannot afford them.
In order to help the districts of Perambalur, Namakkal, Salem, Thoothukudi, Trichy, Dindigul, and Tiruppur receive onion seeders, storage godowns, harvesting machines, and onion de-toppers, a budget of 29 crores has been set aside. Similar to this, at a cost of 19 crores, interventions to boost tomato productivity will be supported in the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Dindigul, Theni, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore. These interventions include the installation of drip irrigation, staking, cultivation of high-yielding varieties, and mulching.
There has been an increase in the demand for high-value horticultural crops like dragon fruit, avocado, date palm, lychee, mangosteen, fig and olive. “These crops are imported in Tamil Nadu and farmers are keen for cultivation,” the minister said. An area of 1000 ha has been covered by crops along with subsidy and training in cultivation practices.
The government is launching a Rs 3 Crore worth project involving the overseas training of 150 farmers in countries, such as Israel, the Netherlands, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, and the Philippines, to learn their practices.
While GI Tags for ten products including Sholavanthan Betel vine and Panruti Jackfruit were secured the previous year, this year the GI tags were allotted to another ten products such as Krishnagiri Arasampatti coconut, Mulanoor Kuttai Moringa, Sattur cucumber, Thanjavur Veeramangudi jaggery (Achu vellam) with an outlay of Rs. 30 lakhs.
Micro irrigation is likely to be adopted for better groundwater utilization and funds worth Rs. 744 crore is to be sanctioned for the Micro Irrigation Scheme. The Union government has been asked to relax the ceiling of five hectares and increase it to 10 hectares to reduce the minimum subsidy from seven to five years for reavailing subsidies.
Given the welfare of sugarcane farmers in Tamil Nadu, the government would set aside 253 crores to offer qualified farmers a special incentive of 195 above and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of 2,821 per MT of cane during the crushing season of 2022–2023.
In line with the “International Year of Millets,” the minister has also proposed the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission. “Subsidies will be given for bringing crop diversification via millets in 50,000 acres,” the minister stated.
Financial assistance will be provided by Union and State governments at a cost of Rs. 82 crores. There will be formed 100 groups of millet farmers, and subsidies allotted for the installation of sprinkler irrigation for 12,500 acres.
The government will also establish 725 clusters covering 14,500 hectares in 32 districts and educate farmers, rural youth, farm women, and students on the value of organic farming.
