Farmers upset over budget as it failed to fulfill promises

TIRUCHY: Expressing disappointment over the Tamil Nadu agriculture budget, delta farmers said that there was nothing fruitful to us and there was no announcement regarding the check dams to save water from draining into the sea.

According to Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, both the union budget and the state agriculture budget were the same as both have not extended any big benefit to farmers. There was no mention about check dams in the delta region.“We have been demanding to ban import of palm oil from other countries and distribute coconut oil in PDS outlets so that the coconut growers will get some profits for their crops. But, this has been ignored this time too. Similarly, there is no mention about the free power supply to farmers,” Vimalnathan said.

N Veerasekaran, State Secretary, Bharathiya Kisan Sangam, said that farmers were eagerly waiting for new announcements as the Lok Sabha elections were approaching. But, farmers are disappointed a lot on the state budget. He also said that there was no announcement about developing horticulture and tropical crops cultivation and there was no proper fund allocation for the horticulture department.

“While Tamil Nadu is self-sufficient in oil seed production, there is no announcement on marketing and proper pricing for the oilseeds. Further, there is no mention of storage facilities for horticulture products,” he lamented.

EV Gandhi, president, East Coast Coconut Farmers Association, said the coconut farmers have been demanding proper pricing for their produces as they have lost their livelihood.