Will double cropped areas in TN 10 years: Agri Min Panneerselvam

Presenting the first ever independent Agriculture Budget of Tamil Nadu, Panneerselvam said that the total amount of Rs 34,220 crore has been allotted for Agriculture department and agriculture related departments such as Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development, Irrigation, Rural Development, Revenue, Cooperation, Sericulture and Forest department. 

"The Agriculture budget is the aspiration of farmers. It is a dream of nature lovers, It is the livelihood of the rural mass. It is the crown on agriculture-farmers' welfare department", said Panneerselvam, in the budget. 

Speaking about the goals of the government, Panneerselvam said that Chief Minister M K Stalin has fixed the long term visionary goals "to take steps to bring an additional area of 11.75 lakh hectare under net area sown so as to increase the present cropped area from 60 to 75 percent" by converting the fallow lands into productive lands, to augment water resources such as ponds, farm ponds, percolation ponds, check dams and borewells and crops like millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and fruits will be grown to increase the net sown area, 

Panneerselvam also said that Tamil Nadu will be brought within the first three positions in the country in agricultural productivity in crops like foodgrains and commercial crops such as coconut, cotton, sunflower and sugarcane. 

A grand project called 'Kalaignarin Anaithu Grama Orunginaintha Velaan Valarchi Thittam" (Kalaignar All Villages Integrated Agriculture Development Scheme in English) will be implemented in a span of five years to ensure an overall agricultural development and self-sufficiency of farmers. Rs 250 crore has been allotted for the implementation of the project. 

Chief Minister's Dry land development missions will be implemented to engage small and marginal farmers in dry farming. The project will be implemented with the outlay of Rs 146.64 crore with the contribution of state and union governments. Organic farming development scheme will be implemented to provide adequate awareness on organic farming to farmers and to provide training on organic certification. Rs 33.03 crore has been allotted for the organic farming development scheme. 

Nel Jayaraman traditional paddy varieties conservation mission will be implemented to collect, conserve and showcasing traditional paddy varieties. Steps will be taken to multiply seeds of the traditional varieties in the extent of 200 acre in the state seed farmers functioning in various districts. 

Palmyra development mission will be implemented to increase the area of palms in the state. State will take action to distribute 76 lakh palmyra seedlings to farmers with full subsidy in 30 districts in the current year. Measures will be taken to distribute palm jaggery derived from palm tree through fair price shops in coordination with palm development board and agricultural cooperate societies. 

Special paddy production plan will be implemented to attain 125 lakh metric tonnes of food grain production in the current year and steps will be taken to increase the area of paddy cultivation to 19 lakh hectares. State government will also increase the incentive price for paddy procurement from Rs 70 to 100 per quintal for grade- A varieties and Rs 50 to 75 for common varieties which will result in increase in procurement price of paddy from Rs 1960 per quintal to Rs 2,060 for grade-A varieties and from rs 1940 per quintal to Rs 2,015 per quintal for common varieties.