Order issued for Rs 61 cr Kuruvai package; to benefit 3L Delta ryots

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order for Rs 61 crore Kuruvai package which would benefit 3 lakh delta farmers in the State.

The State Agriculture Department issued an order on Friday, June 17 for the Rs 61 crore Kuruvai package that would provide full subsidy for chemical fertilizers, 50% subsidy for seeds and 50% subsidy for farm equipment.

On May 31, 2022, Chief Minister M K Stalin had announced the package to increase Kuruvai acreage beyond 5.2 lakh acres in the current fiscal.

The government had also released water from Mettur Dam for delta irrigation well in advance on May 24, against the scheduled June 12.

As per the GO issued on Friday, the government has offered to provide one sack of urea worth Rs 2,466.50 per acre, one bag of DAP and half bag of Potash at 100% subsidy for 1.90 lakh acres to encourage farmers taking up Kuruvai cultivation.

The subsidised chemical fertilizer distribution will cost Rs 46.86 crore to the State exchequer.

A statement released by the government in this regard said that steps have been taken to stock adequate volumes of fertilizer at Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies to distribute the chemical fertilizers to the farmers.

As a part of the package, the state government has allotted Rs 4.20 crore for supplying 2,400 metric tons of short term paddy seeds at 50% subsidy.

The government has allocated Rs 6.61 crore to provide farm equipment, including 35 tractors and 22 integrated paddy harvesting machines to farmers at 50% subsidy.