Tamil Nadu leads in agricultural sector by providing food products to the other states

CHENNAI: State government on Thursday informed that the agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in food production and Tamil Nadu has become a leading state in India by providing food products to the neighbouring states.

According to the release issued by the state government, as a visionary plan of chief minister MK Stalin, for the first time in India, a separate Agri Budget has been tabled in the Assembly.

"Compensation amounting to Rs 4,366 crore has been provided to 24.50 lakh farmers in the last three years for damage to crops under CM Crop Insurance Scheme. In the last three years, a total of Rs 582 crore has been given as compensation for crop damage in 12.88 acres of land due to rain and drought disasters and 8 lakh farmers have benefited, " the release said.

Also, sugarcane farming area has increased from 95,000 hectares to 1.54 lakh hectares.

"Rs 651 crore as sugarcane production incentive and special incentive has been given to 4,40,575 farmers in the last three years. 71 farmers have been given sugarcane harvesting machines as a subsidy. Rs 600 crore has been provided as a road loan to sugar mills, " it noted.

"A total of 16,432 agricultural machinery including 2,168 tractors, 9,303 power tillers, 288 harvesters, 2,868 other agricultural implements worth Rs 270 crore have been provided to the farmers in three years. For the first time, Rs 56 crore have been allocated to set up a micro-irrigation facility for the farmers of Adi Dravidar with 100 per cent subsidy, " the release added.