CM Vijay announces Rs 289 paddy, Rs 709.50 sugarcane incentives

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Vijay on Monday (August 10) announced a substantial increase in incentive payments for paddy and sugarcane farmers, saying the move was aimed at safeguarding farmers' welfare and ensuring better returns for their produce, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

Making a statement under Rule 110 in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the Chief Minister said the State government would provide an additional incentive of Rs 289 per quintal for fine-variety paddy and Rs 150 per quintal for common-variety paddy over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

With the revised incentives, farmers will receive a total of Rs 2,750 per quintal for fine-variety paddy and Rs 2,600 per quintal for common-variety paddy, he said.

Vijay also announced an enhanced incentive for sugarcane farmers. While the Centre provides Rs 3,290.50 per tonne for sugarcane supplied to sugar mills, the State government will add an incentive of Rs 709.50 per tonne, taking the total procurement price to Rs 4,000 per tonne.

Describing the decision as a historic one, the Chief Minister said this was the first time that the incentive for common-variety paddy had been increased by Rs 150.

Vijay also said it was the first occasion on which the total procurement price for sugarcane had crossed Rs 4,000 per tonne.

He reiterated that the government would continue to stand by farmers and support their welfare.