Incentive for sugarcane farmers approved

According to the GO, Rs 38.4 crore to pay incentives for sugarcane farmers across the state and Rs 42.5 per tonne will be given to each farmer, who have supplied sugarcane to mills. The announcement to provide TPI to sugarcane farmers was announced by state Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam in the first-ever budget for agriculture. As per the Tamil Nadu Sugarcane (Regulation of Purchase Price) Act, 2015, from 2017-18, the state has been implementing a revenue sharing based price fixation model without announcing State Advised Price (SAP). As the Act is yet to be implemented, in order to protect the interests of the farmers the difference between the fair and remunerative price announced by the Centre and the cane price of Rs 2,750 per tonne, received during 2016-17, is paid as TPI. The state also issued a GO permitting sale of palm jaggery in shops run by TNCSC on pilot basis.