CHENNAI: Agriculture Minister Vinoth on Thursday (August 6) presented the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government's first Agriculture Budget in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, outlining a roadmap focused on farmer welfare, continuity of existing schemes, and the introduction of new initiatives for the agriculture sector.
Presenting the Budget, the minister said the financial statement had been prepared after incorporating suggestions from farmers and agricultural exporters. He added that the Budget was framed in line with the Chief Minister's long-term vision for the state's agricultural development.
Vinoth said the government would continue all ongoing agricultural schemes while introducing several new initiatives aimed at strengthening the sector. He stressed that agriculture remains the backbone of the economy and said no other sector could function effectively if agriculture was neglected.
Ahead of the presentation, DMK MLAs arrived at the Assembly wearing black shirts as a mark of protest.
*. The government has allocated Rs 122.51 crore to launch the Tamil Nadu Soil Conservation Mission aimed at protecting soil fertility across the state
*. Minister Vinoth announced that the government has earmarked Rs 34.72 crore under a special State government scheme for the production of paddy seeds and subsidy on their distribution.
*. The government will launch an AI-powered farmer application to provide personalised digital services to cultivators, with Rs 2 crore allocated for the initiative in the 2026–27 Agriculture Budget.
*. Rs 203.64 crore allocated for a Self-Sufficiency Mission for Pulses and Oilseed Crops to boost domestic production and reduce dependence on imports.
*. Rs 63.81 crore allocated for the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission to increase the cultivation area, production, and productivity of millets across the state under the theme "Ancient Tamil food, enduring healthy living."
*. Rs 7.61 crore allocated for the Tamil Nadu Minor Millets Mission to double the cultivation of minor millets such as little millet, foxtail millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet, and proso millet, promoting them as nutritious and climate-resilient crops.
*. Rs 30 lakh allocated to establish demonstration plots for cultivating high-nutrition crops such as quinoa, buckwheat, and brown top millet, with the aim of promoting the revival of neglected grains.
*. Rs 27.21 crore allocated for the Cotton Revival Mission to boost cotton production, improve crop quality, and enhance farmers' income.
*. Rs 36 crore allocated for the Maize Production Enhancement Scheme to increase maize cultivation, improve productivity, and boost farmers' income.
*. Rs 17.70 crore allocated for the Agroforestry Scheme to promote permanent green cover on farmlands by encouraging tree plantation alongside agricultural crops.
*. Rs 7.35 crore allocated for the Wild Boar Crop Damage Prevention Scheme to protect farmlands from wild boar attacks and reduce crop losses.
*. Rs 3.4 crore allocated to establish 50 village-level farm machinery rental centres with 80% subsidy, with 30% of the centres reserved for women self-help groups (SHGs).
*. Rs 8.5 crore allocated to create 500 farm ponds with 100% subsidy and desilt 500 existing farm ponds with 75% subsidy to improve on-farm water conservation and irrigation.
*. Rs 6 crore allocated to provide back-ended subsidy for borewells or tube wells for 500 general category farmers, with a maximum subsidy of 60%, to bring 1,000 acres under irrigation.
*. Rs 23 crore allocated to install solar-powered off-grid pump sets for 1,000 farmers with up to 80% subsidy, promoting sustainable irrigation and reducing dependence on conventional power sources.
*. Rs 8.13 crore allocated to establish 50 integrated farm machinery rental business centres for crop cultivation and value addition, improving farmers' access to modern agricultural equipment.
*. Rs 49.4 lakh allocated for a pilot Blue-Green Horticulture Project in coastal districts to establish freshwater wells and promote the cultivation of chillies and coriander.
*. Rs 2.8 crore allocated to provide threshing floors to 100 farmers with 50% subsidy, helping reduce post-harvest losses and improve grain handling.
*. Rs 20.31 crore allocated to procure 463 agricultural machines and implements to strengthen the e-Vaadagai 2.0 app-based farm machinery rental service offered by the Agricultural Engineering Department.
*. Rs 1.12 crore allocated with 50% subsidy to establish 15 agricultural machinery repair and maintenance centres to improve equipment servicing and reduce downtime for farmers.
*. Rs 46.37 lakh allocated to conduct 100% subsidised end-to-end mechanisation demonstrations across 225 acres for maize, groundnut, black gram, and coconut cultivation.
*. Rs 4.6 crore allocated to establish Agricultural Engineering Extension and Training Centres in Tirukkovilur, Musiri, Karaikudi, Dharapuram, and Kumbakonam to enhance farmer training and technology adoption.
*. Tamil Nadu to set up a Farmers' Income Enhancement Commission with an allocation of Rs 5.20 crore to boost farmers' earnings beyond crop yields.
*. Tamil Nadu will establish new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), providing an equity grant of Rs 5,000 per member, with Rs 12 crore allocated for the initiative.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 4.80 crore to establish 1,000-metric-tonne storage warehouses at two regulated market yards, aimed at improving crop storage and helping farmers secure better prices.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 3 crore to establish four primary processing centres and upgrade infrastructure at two dedicated agri-business complexes to promote value addition and enhance farmers' income.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 5 crore to establish a new Agricultural Technology Research Centre in Ooty, Nilgiris, to promote chemical-free farming and create better market opportunities for farmers' produce.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 5 crore to establish the Nammalvar College of Organic Agriculture at Sakkottai in Thanjavur district, offering a diploma programme to promote organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 6 crore to procure new buses for the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore to facilitate field training for students.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 20 crore to renovate Uzhavar Sandhais (farmers' markets) across the State, aiming to strengthen direct farm-to-consumer sales and improve farmers' income.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 2 crore to install electronic price display boards in 50 Uzhavar Sandhais (farmers' markets) to ensure transparent pricing and help farmers and consumers access real-time market rates.
*. The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 4 crore to establish an Agricultural Intelligence and Market Excellence Centre that will provide farmers with market intelligence, price forecasts and weather-based advisories to support informed farming decisions and improve incomes.