CHENNAI: The State government on Thursday unveiled its maiden Agriculture Budget, with a focus on improving farm incomes, expanding irrigation, strengthening climate resilience, and accelerating the adoption of technology across the sector.
The budget steers clear of any target to increase the State’s paddy cultivation area or production, instead rolling out a series of new missions aimed at boosting pulses, oilseeds, cotton and millets, while pitching soil health and technology-driven farming as the next phase of agricultural growth.
It has also set an overall target of raising foodgrain production over the next five years, but without spelling out a corresponding strategy to expand paddy cultivation, the State’s staple crop.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Agriculture - Farmers’ Welfare Minister R Vinoth said the government’s long-term vision was to transform agriculture into a profitable and sustainable enterprise by combining scientific innovation with farmers’ traditional knowledge.
The government would continue all farmer-centric programmes while rolling out a series of new initiatives covering irrigation, crop insurance, value addition, agribusiness, organic farming, farmer producer organisations, and agricultural research, he said, adding that the schemes were designed to help cultivators secure better productivity as well as remunerative prices for their produce.
Highlighting the government’s immediate priorities, he said the Kuruvai package worth Rs 134.83 crore had enabled cultivation in over 8.26 lakh acres despite delayed release of water from the Mettur dam. To expand risk coverage, the government allocated Rs 648.55 crore for crop insurance during 2026-27, targeting 36 lakh acres and nearly 15 lakh farmers.
The minister also announced measures to tackle the anticipated impact of Super El Niño through district-specific contingency plans prepared by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. The State has set a target of producing 125 lakh metric tonnes of food grains during 2026-27 as part of its five-year goal of achieving 131 lakh metric tonnes.
Reaffirming support for cultivators, the government also earmarked Rs 7,432.58 crore towards free three-phase electricity for agriculture while promising transparent implementation of all schemes to ensure benefits reach farmers directly.