Exclusive agriculture budget need of the hour: Tamil Nadu farmers

TIRUCHY: While more than 70 per cent of the Indian population constitutes farmers and farm labourers, the exclusive budget for agriculture of the Tamil Nadu government is inevitable for uplifting the life of the farming community.

The farmers have been sweating all through the year irrespective of tough climatic conditions to ensure adequate storage of food products. So the exclusive agriculture budget must focus more on productivity. At least the farming community of the region feels so.

“Even during the COVID pandemic season, we worked hard braving the disease and our hard work resulted in 23 per cent more production of food grains which ensured hassle-free distribution of free rice through PDS outlets to the masses. We are proud to say that the country has adequate storage of food grains till 2028 and thus we ensured Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Guarantee of free food grains to the poor. This is where we say that an exclusive agri budget would boost the sector,” says Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

Vimalnathan along with a few other leaders from various farmers' associations has sent a representation to the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman explaining the requirement for the exclusive budget for agriculture.

“We have been demanding the exclusive budget for years as the farming community constitutes a majority of the country’s population. So, a budget should be for the masses and not the handpicked corporates,” he said. He pointed out that as many as 720 farmers lost their lives during the phase I indefinite protest in Delhi for the loan waiver and decent MSP for the farm products and the phase II protest has reached around 150 days.

“While the Union government has written off around Rs 14 lakh crore for the corporate companies, that too only hand-picked firms, why the Centre is not ready for waiving of loans availed by the farmers which are so meagre compared to the amount waived for corporate firms. If there is an exclusive agriculture budget, it would certainly focus on more allocation helping in waiving off the loans too,” Vimalnathan said.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY) was introduced in 2019 with financial assistance of Rs 6,000 to eligible farmers. While the cost of cultivation and fertilizer prices have doubled now, the fund of Rs 6,000 has not so far been revised. “The fund should at least be revised to Rs 12,000 and the tenant farmers too should be added to the beneficiary list. There are around 2 crore tenant farmers in the country,” Vimalnathan said.

While P Ayyakannu, state president of Desiya Thennindiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam demanded profitable pricing for the agricultural products.

“Prime Minister promised to double our income but the promise is yet to be fulfilled. We hope this will be announced in the upcoming agri budget,” Ayyakannu said. “Before every budget, we eagerly wait for the announcement of crop loan waiver but disappointment only would be the result in each budget. At least there could be an announcement of interest waiver for the crop loans,” he said.

Ayyakannu said that the MSP for paddy should be fixed at Rs 3,600 per quintal as per the recommendation of Dr MS Swaminathan. He also said that the Union government should ensure the distribution of coconut oil instead of palm oil through the PDS outlets. “This apart, the number of working days under MGNREGS to 200 days, and the wage should be Rs 450 a day,” said Ayyakannu.