Tamil Nadu aims to make farmers self-reliant in 10 years: Agriculture Minister

Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam on Thursday said that the objective of the state government is to ensure that no farmer stands in front of debt agencies, including banks in need of loans in the next 10 years. “The objective of the state is to make farmers self-sustainable,” said Panneerselvam, in his reply on the budget debate. He also said that the state has planned to bring 10 lakh hectares of land under paddy cultivation in the next 10 years and within a year 1.5 lakh hectares has been brought under kuruvai cultivation. ‘Will provide Rs 4k for cane in coming years’ The Minister also said that the Opposition parties demand of Rs 4,000 per metric tonne MSP for sugarcane will be implemented in coming years. The same demand was placed by the DMK in the past 10 years, but not a single rupee was hiked by the previous government. “The Opposition party destroyed the sugar industry in the past 10 years,” said the Minister.