TN Agri Budget Focuses on Organic Farming, Oilseeds, Traditional Vegetables & Fruits

Recalling Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's Tamil Nadu Organic Farming Policy, which aimed to overcome the negative effects of excessive chemical use in farming, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam said 725 clusters covering 14,500 hectares in 32 districts would be formed to encourage organic farming.

Additionally, 26 crore would be spent to encourage organic certification and to provide certification help for 10,000 hectares. According to the Minister, the government is encouraging farmers to use silt from tanks and ponds to boost soil health. Collectors who assist in identifying tanks for the purpose will be recognised, he added.

Organic farming in the Nilgiris will be pushed for five years at a cost of 50 crore. The Minister stated that the allocation for the future year will be 5 crore. He also revealed a plan to establish a gene bank of traditional vegetable seeds in order to popularise them.

"District-level seed festivals and state-level seminars will be held. Farmers that have revived the greatest number of traditional vegetable seeds will be awarded cash prizes. "These seeds will be multiplied at State horticulture farms and distributed to farmers and members of the public during Adi Pattam and Thai Pattam," he explained. The budget for the coming year will be Rs. 1.50 crore.

The Budget proposed a special oilseeds zone in addition to spending 33 crore for enhancing sunflower production and expanding the area under peanuts, sesame, and soybean. Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Erode, Dharmapuri, Namakkal, Salem, Tiruchi, Krishnagiri, Cuddalore, Tirupattur, Ariyalur, Vellore, and Pudukkottai will be included in the zone, which would cultivate groundnuts and sesame.

The Minister stated that initiatives will be taken to expand cashew cultivation to 500 additional hectares. Aged and low-yielding trees would be removed, and new areas would be planted with high-yielding species. Priority would be given to Panruti and the surrounding areas. The Sustainable Cotton Farming Mission would be funded at a cost of 12 crore.

Panneerselvam, who announced a jackfruit promotion mission, stated that the Vegetable Research Station at Palur will be improved at a cost of 3 crore to boost research on the development of new kinds, high-yielding technologies, and value addition.

(Author- Shivam Dwivedi)