DMK government presents Tamil Nadu’s first agriculture Budget

Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam presented the document to the House on the day the DMK dispensation completed 100 days in office

Ensuring self-sufficiency and overall agricultural development in villages, a separate department for organic farming, encouraging those taking up organic farming by providing inputs subsidy, training youth in agricultural skill development, and bringing 11.75 lakh hectares of fallow lands into cultivation.

These are some of the salient features of Tamil Nadu’s first-ever Agriculture Budget presented by the M K Stalin government before the Assembly on Saturday. Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam, who presented the document to the House on the day the DMK dispensation completed 100 days in office, dedicated the Budget to the farmers protesting against farm bills in Delhi.

Besides batting for increasing the cultivation area in the state and pushing for achieving production of 75 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, the separate budget for agriculture laid much emphasis on organic farming and the need to encourage youngsters to take up agriculture. The minister said the government has decided to bring 11.75 lakh hectares into cultivation to grow crops like millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and fruits to increase the net sown area to 75 per cent.

Panneerselvam announced a scheme named after late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi which aims at achieving self-sufficiency and overall agricultural development in all villages in five years. Through this project, which will be undertaken in collaboration with over a dozen government departments, the government will identify one-fifth of village panchayats every year. The scheme will be launched in 2,500 villages in 2021-2022 fiscal.

Contending that indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have affected the soil fertility and environment, the Budget focussed on the realisation among the people about organic produce to enhance immunity. A separate wing for Organic Farming will be established in the Agriculture Department, Panneerselvam announced, adding that organic farming will be encouraged with the provision of inputs subsidy.

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“Inputs for organic farming are essential. Arrangements will be made to make them available in Agricultural Extension Centres. Quality control regulations will be enforced effectively to ensure the quality of organic inputs sold by the private shops,” he added.

Since a lot of youth in the state go for agricultural education, the budget said, the government has turned its focus to transform these graduates into entrepreneurs through capacity building training with the help of Agri-Business firms and alumni.

“During their final year, they will be motivated to develop an ambition to become entrepreneurs. On completion of studies, they will know the gaps in the market, business techniques and strategies with their certificates in hand and implementable action plan to become as an entrepreneur in their mind,” the minister said.

Announcing the launch of the Rural Youth Agricultural Skill Development Mission, the Budget said 2,500 youth will get training for grafting, layering, pruning, maintenance of the poly greenhouse, and establishment of micro-irrigation system this year. The government will also introduce Tamil as a medium of instruction in agricultural and horticultural education, the minister said.

Among other things, the minister promised measures to distribute palm jaggery, a value-added palm product, derived from palm trees through Fair Price Shops, a Special Paddy Production Plan, ensure the availability of millets in plenty, and a scheme for making pulse production profitable.

The minister also announced rewards for best performing farmers who excel in Agriculture, while a high-level committee for Agriculture will be constituted at the State level under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to review farming-related schemes and to suggest solutions for the problems faced by farmers.

The budget also announced the setting up of Chief Minster's solar-powered pump sets scheme to be implemented at an outlay of Rs.114.68 crore with State, and Union Government funds. The minister also announced the revival of Uzhavar Sandhais (Farmers’ Markets) and the establishment of a new Horticulture College.

To undertake research on organic farming in various crops, a research centre in the name of natural farming scientist Nammazhvar will be created by expanding the existing Department of Sustainable Organic Agriculture functioning under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. An amount of Rs.3 Crore will be allocated initially from the State Government, Panneerselvam added.

The government also said the Cauvery delta region will be declared as an Agro-Industrial Corridor to promote agro-based industries by plugging infrastructure gaps, creating new industrial infrastructure and by attracting private investments to the region.