Government announces Rs 56.92 crore kuruvai package for delta

Of the 1.60 lakh acres, alternate crops would be cultivated on 1.32 lakh acres, he said and added that subsidy would be provided for micronutrients, fertiliser and pipes. 

The subsidy would include Rs 4,000 per acre for use of farm machinery for various agricultural operations including weeding, Rs 520 per acre for provision of zinc sulphate and Rs 200 per acre for micronutrients, an official release said.

Similarly, farmers would be given a subsidy of Rs 960 per acre to procure quality seeds, Rs 640 per acre for sowing DAP. The above-mentioned amounts would be a 100 per cent subsidy, it added. 

Another Rs 500 per acre would be provided for starting agricultural operations using available water, while another Rs 21,000 subsidy was earmarked for using of 30 plastic pipes each having 110 mm diameter and a length of 6 metres, it added. 

The Vennar region from Grand Anicut in Thanjavur district would be provided 100 per cent subsidy at the rate of Rs 1,200 per acre to improve soil fertility, the release added. These measures were undertaken as water was not released from the Mettur dam for cultivation as the level stood at 23.68 feet against the full dam level of 120 feet, it added. 

The government had announced a similar package last year too, which benefitted 1.37 lakh farmers to the tune of 54.65 crore covering a total of 3.16 lakh acres. The government paying insurance companies Rs 428 crore as insurance subsidy resulted in Rs 403.79 crore being credited to the bank accounts of 2.96 lakh farmers form 2015-16. The amounts were credited in May this year, it added.