TN govt announces Rs 14,000 cr crop loans in Agri Budget

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government will provide cooperative crop loans to the tune of Rs 14,000 crore to farmers in the State during 2023-24, Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam said on Tuesday.

During 2022-23, a total of 16.43 lakh farmers were provided crop loans for Rs 12,648 crore through the cooperative department.

Also, interest-free cooperative loan of Rs 1,500 crore will be given to farmers for goat rearing, dairying, poultry and fisheries activities, he said while presenting the budget for agriculture department in the Assembly.

About Rs 500 crore has been allocated to provide incentive to paddy growers at the rate of Rs 100 and Rs 75 per quintal, respectively, for fine and bold varieties, for the procurement period next year.

Millet festivals would be held under the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission to create awareness among consumers and increase the millet consumption.

"As the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, it is proposed to implement the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission for five years. Subsidy will be given to bring millet cultivation to fallow lands and crop diversification to millets in 50,000 acres," he said. The scheme will be implemented in the coming year at an estimated cost of Rs 82 crore.

The Minister announced the constitution of a special committee under the chairmanship of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to review and provide solution for crop damage caused by the wild animals.

A new regional Startup hub will be created in Thanjavur by the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission to promote agrotechnological innovations in the Cauvery delta region. Through the agro industrial corridor in the delta region, projects of agriculture related sectors will be coordinated and effectively implemented at an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore in the next five years.

During 2023-24, a sum of Rs 38,904.4606 crore has been provided in the respective demands for Agriculture-Farmers Welfare department and agriculture related departments, he said.

Agricultural machinery will be purchased through Primary Agricultural Co-operative Credit Societies (PACCSs) and hired out through e-Vaadagai App to farmers. About Rs 500 crore will be allocated with NABARD assistance for the purpose.

Also, in order to facilitate the farmers to carry out ploughing operation without any hindrance, block wise, district wise details of private owners of tractors and mechanics of agricultural machinery as well as pump sets will be uploaded in the e-Vaadagai App with their name, address and mobile number and linked with Uzhavan App.

Steps would be taken to obtain Geographical Indication (GI) for 10 products viz., Krishnagiri Arasampatti Coconut, Krishnagiri Panneer Rose, Thanjavur Peravoorani Coconut, Mulanoor Kuttai Moringa, Sattur Cucumber, Thanjavur Veeramangudi Jaggery (Achu vellam), Thoothukudi Vilathikulam Chilli, Cuddalore Kotimulai Brinjal, Madurai Sengarumbu and Sivagangai Karuppukavuni rice in the ensuing year.

A new simplified portal called "GRAINS" (Grower Online Registration of Agriculture Input System) will be introduced to help farmers submit documents to avail benefits under schemes implemented by agriculture related departments, Panneerselvam said.

"This platform will enable the farmers to avail through a single source, various benefits including crop loan, incentive for paddy and sugarcane, relief assistance under State Disaster Response Fund and scheme benefits from 13 Agriculture and Allied departments," he noted.

Nammazhvar Award with a purse of Rs 5 lakh and a citation will be given during Republic Day to farmers who practice and promote organic farming.

The DMK government's third exclusive budget for agriculture lacked new announcements and "is deceptive," claimed Leader of the Opposition AIADMK K Palaniswami.

"The two-hour long agriculture budget speech of the Minister has no announcements like package for crop loss, to gladden the hearts of the farmers. It has deceived the farmers," Palaniswami said reacting to the budget.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly House, he said the government initially did not include sugarcane in the Pongal gift hamper for ration cardholders but distributed it only after he took up the issue.

"This government has not allocated funds for projects like Kudimaramathu, Godavari-Cauvery river linking project or Cauvery-Gundar link project. There is no new scheme for the welfare of the farmers in this budget. This government is playing hide and seek with the lives of farmers," Palaniswami claimed.