DMK fails to keep poll promise on MSP for paddy, cane; farmers disappointed

TIRUCHY: Lauding the allocation of Rs 38,000 crore for agricultural projects, Delta farmers on Tuesday however, expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of MSP of Rs 2,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,000 per tonne for sugarcane, which were among the promises in the DMK’s election manifesto.

The Agriculture budget tabled in the House on Tuesday evoked mixed response from farmers. Most of them were dissatisfied as many of their long-pending demands, which were even mentioned in the DMK’s election manifesto, were missing in the Tuesday’s budget.

According to P Jagadeesan, Delta district coordinator of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam, steps to promote organic farming and the announcement of Nammalvar Award with a cash award of Rs 5 lakh to the best organic farmer were welcome measures. These announcements would encourage more number of farmers to switch to organic farming which was a need of the hour.

Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam state general secretary Sami Natarajan expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of MSP of Rs 2,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,000 per tonne for sugarcane, which were major promises in the DMK election manifesto. “These are also the major demands of Delta farmers for several years and we have been eagerly waiting for the announcement in every budget and this time too the state government has disappointed us,” Natarajan said.

However, the announcements on millets and oil seed production has ushered in happiness among the farmers, but at the same time, the failure to mention the takeover of crop insurance by the state government has disappointed the ryots and also, there was no mention of revival of closed sugar factories.

Srinivasan, a progressive farmer from Ganapathy Agraharam, while welcoming the plan to take farmers on field-cum-training visits to various countries, hailed the allocation of Rs 125 crore for mechanisation of agriculture activities. “While manpower shortage has become an everyday issue, the fund of Rs 125 crore is inadequate for procurement of machinery, but the facility of repair works of machinery through the Uzhavan App is a boon,” he added.

Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said, he welcomed the allocation of funds for power tillers in villages, but there is no mention of harvester machines and drones, which were the most essential gadgets for cultivation.