Podcast: 'TN agri budget shifts focus from food to nutrition security'

Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Paneerselvan presented Tamil Nadu’s first-ever agriculture budget on Saturday (August 14). The budget focused on increasing the cultivable land from 60 to 75 per cent. The minister announced various schemes, incentives and procurement policies. The government has also planned to implement ‘Kalaignar’s Anaithu Grama Oruginaintha Velan Valarchi Thittam’ to foster agricultural development.

Dr. R. Gopinath, an agricultural economist, in a conversation with Madhu Balaji of The Federal, says the budget itself is unique and stresses on the fact that this budget moves away from just food security to nutrition security.

Some highlights of the budget include: allocation of ₹4,508.32 crore for free electricity to farmers, ₹40 crore to provide incentives to sugarcane farmers, introduction of collective farming scheme and ₹6 crore for the development of Uzhavar Santhai in 10 districts. The government is planning to procure 61,000 tonnes of millets from farmers in the state. Palm jaggery will be sold in fair price shops to increase its use.