Chennai: Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister MRK Paneerselvam presented his first full-fledged Agricultural Budget 2022-2023 on Saturday. The agricultural budget was presented a day after Tamil Nadu Budget 2022-2023, tabled by state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Friday.
The budget session that started on Friday is expected to go on till March 24.
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Some of the highlights in the agricultural budget presented by the Agriculture Minister include:
> The state has increased the agricultural land area to 53.50 lakh acres
> Further, the state allotted Rs 400 crore for organic farming and also decided to implement special schemes to enhance millet production
> The state is set to provide Rs 1 lakh to 200 educated youngsters for starting up agriculture-related businesses
> TN will launch State Agricultural Development Plan for Rs 71 crore
> State to increase subsidy for SC/ST farmers by 20% and Rs 5 crore has been allotted for the purpose
> Special zones to be set up for cultivation of Toor dal in Salem and Krishnagiri
> New soil testing centre to be set up in Mayiladuthurai for Rs 75 lakh
> TN allotted Rs 5,157 crore for providing free electricity to farmers
> The NPKR Ramasamy Coop Sugar Mills to be reopened in Mayiladuthurai
> Rs 2 crore allotted for reviving cultivation of traditional vegetables. For cultivation of unseasonal tomato, Rs 4 crore has been alloted.
> The state to distribute 10 lakh palm seeds to increase palm trees in the state
> The state aims to achieve 126 lakh MT of food grains production this year
> Three food parks to be set up in Theni, Dindivanam, and Manaparai for Rs 381 crore
> Farmers to be involved in production of jaggery
> 3,000 solar pumps to be set up under TN CM's scheme
> Digital Agricultural to be allocated Rs 8 crore
> State government to allot Rs 150 crore for purchasing machinery to overcome the agriculture labour shortage
> A special team to be set up under Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to find solutions to problems faced by the farmers
> Farmers excelling in agriculture to be honoured with state government award
> Millet festivals to be conducted at state and district level
> Govt designed app to be launched for farmers to know details about seedings to sales
> Vegetable market complex to be set up in partnership with private players in Coimbatore, Theni and Kanyakumari
MRK Paneerselvam said that the state government has fulfilled 80 of the 86 promises made during the first interim agricultural budget in 2021
He also mentioned that 29 districts in the state are likely to face burnt of climate change in the coming years.