Sweet news for farmers, Rs 550 additional incentive to cane from state

In a statement here, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said Tamil Nadu was the leading state in the country in respect of sugarcane yield due to various measures undertaken by the government benefitting the farmers, including providing 100 per cent subsidy for micro irrigation equipments to small and marginal farmers and 75 per cent to other farmers. 

Stating that her government has been determining the price every year for sugarcane farmers, Jayalalithaa said the government was fixing the price over and above the support price fixed by the Centre. The Chief Minister said for the 2015-16 season the Centre has fixed Rs 2,300 per tonne as the support price. 

“Keeping in mind the welfare of the sugarcane farmers, the state government has decided to provide an additional Rs 550 (including transport cost of Rs 100) to the farmers’’, she added. This would ensure that the sugarcane farmers will get Rs 2,850 per tonne as the State recommended price for the current season, Jayalalithaa added. 

Welfare initiatives Widening of geographic area of paddy cultivation, introducing modern agro-technologies, cultivation of more lentil varieties, drip irrigation, setting up advanced storage godowns are some of the steps being implemented by the state government to boost crop production leading to an achievement in increased food production every year. 

In a bid to increase cane yield and to help sugar factories to increase their hourly milling capacity, novel initiatives are being taken that include setting up of shade houses for seedlings, applying fertilizers via drip irrigation and making best use of water for irrigation.