TN: DMK govt presents exclusive farm budget, allocates Rs 4,508.23 crore to provide free electricity to farmer

Chennai, Aug 14: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, the leader who spearheaded DMK's spectacular win in the April 6 Assembly election, presented its maiden budget on August 13.

In a first, the Tamil Nadu government presented a separate agriculture budget on Saturday. This comes a day after the revised state budget for the year 2021-22 was presented by Finance Minister PTR Palaivel Thiagarajan (PTR). This budget session is scheduled to run for a total of 29 days until September 21.

The agriculture budget was presented by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare MRK Panneerselvam.

For the first time in the history of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, a paperless budget was presented. He announced various schemes for the development of agriculture and to the benefits of the farmers.

A sum of Rs 4,508.23 crore has been allocated to the state-run electricity entity, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation for providing free of cost electricity to farm pump sets, he said.

To bring prosperity to farmers and farm labourers in the Cauvery delta region, "it is proposed to declare this area as agro industrial corridor," to promote agro based industries, he said.

Here are the Highlights:

• Minister MRK Panneerselvam announced to set up a horticulture university in Krishnagiri at the cost of Rs 10 crore. He also announced the introduction of undergraduate courses in agriculture and horticulture in Tamil.
• 5 TN Corporations to get subsidy for pushcarts: Minister MRK Panneerselvam has announced 40% subsidies to rural youngsters for purchasing pushcarts to sell vegetable produce in five Corporations including Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Salem and Tiruppur.
• Efforts to get GI tag for 3 TN produce: The minister said efforts will be taken to get Geographical Indications tag for Kollimalai pepper, Banruti jackfruit and Ponni rice.
• 5,000 solar pump sets will be installed
  The state will install 5,000 solar pump sets with 70% subsidies. The subsidies will be given at the cost of Rs 114.68 crore.
• Agriculture Museum in Chennai
  An Agricultural Musuem will be set up in Chennai to facilitate information transfer regarding agriculture and farming to the youngsters.
• 10 farmers market to be set up for Rs 6 cr
  The state government is about to set up, 10 farmers market (Uzhavar Santhai) will be set up in Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Tiruchy, Vellore, Karur and Kallakurichi at the cost of Rs 6 crore respectively.
• Subsidies increased for vegetable cultivation
  MRK Panneerselvam announces subsidies for cultivating vegetables and spinach across the state. The state aims to increase fruit cultivation from 3.13 lakh hectare to 3.30 lakh hectare
  Procurement price for sugarcane increased to Rs 2,900
  Minister MRK Panneerselvam increases procurement price for sugarcane from Rs 2,900 to Rs 2,700 per tonne.
• Minimum support price increased by paddy to Rs 75
  Tamil Nadu government to increase minimum support price for paddy from Rs 75 to Rs 50. The incentive for Grade A paddy increased to Rs 100 from Rs 70.
• Around 2,500 youngesters will be given training in seeding, sowing irrigation, special watering, harvesting through Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation for Rs 5 crore.
• Agricultural Minister said seedings will be produced in 200 acres at Thiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Mayilduthurai, Thiruvarur, Theni and Tirunelveli and distributed to farmers at Rs 25 lakh.
• Millet movement to be introduced in Tamil Nadu at the cost of Rs 12.44 crore. Tamil Nadu government will also procure 61,000 tonnes of millet from farmers, said Minister MRK Panneerselvam.
• Tamil Nadu government introduces seperate section for organic farming in Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department. The farmers involved in organic farming to receive input subsidies, said Agriculture Minister.
• Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister made permission from district administration mandatory for cutting plam trees.
• Minister MRK Panneerselvam said tarpaulin sheets will be distributed to farmers to protect harvest from rains at the cost of Rs 52.2 crore.
• A storage unit to preserve pepper to be set up in Kolli Hills.
• Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam said freight vehicles will be purchased for Rs 59.55 crore to transport goods from villages to town and to increase the profit of the farmers.
• Tamil Nadu Agricultural Minister MRK Panneerselvam said horticulture seedling production by Horticulture Department will be increased at the cost of Rs 21.80 crore
  Minister MRK Panneerselvam said, in order to store the harvest of farmers in Nilgiris, an agricultural storage unit will be set up in Kotagiri.
• The number of palm trees will be increased in 36 districts with full subsidy for 76 lakh seedings and 1 lakh palm sapling.
• MRK Panneerselvam said farming will be increased to 11.75 lakh hectare with coverage of 75%. Water sources will be increased and farming of cotton, millet and rice will be encouraged.