Trade bodies in Madurai see proactive schemes in the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Budget 2024-25, a boon for the farmers in the State, while farmers feel disappointed as their demands have not been heard.
The agriculture budget has widely focused on schemes for soil fertility, organic farming, area expansion for cultivation of agriculture products, encouraging production of agri value-added products and agri exports, said a statement of the Agro Food Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“Subsidy to purchase paddy mobile dryers to farmers and FPOs is a scheme which addresses the problem of farmers selling their produce in the farm heads with high moisture for low price. Implementation of this scheme is sure to increase the income of farmers,” said S. Rethinavelu, president of the Agro Food Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Scheme for the conservation of traditional paddy varieties with medicinal value ensures health security and additionally announcement for conducting Agri Business Expo in three districts would surely increase awareness among farmers, food products manufacturers and consumers, he added.
“The one district one product scheme is a guidance to farmers to select the right crop which helps better marketability of their produce. Digitalisation in agriculture paves way for connectivity between farmers and food processors and helps the farmers to sell their produce for fair prices.” said Mr. Rethinavelu.
The trade body’s statement stated that the fund allocated for the projects to augment water resources was inadequate. It suggested that revival of ponds and tanks and removal of encroachments in supply canals must be implemented with both the private sector and the public sector participation.
“Though the agriculture budget has announced development projects for various agricultural products like sericulture, fish farming, bee keeping, vegetable farming, the allocation of ₹ 5.45 crore for floriculture in the budget was very meagre,” stated N. Jegatheesan, president, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In flower cultivation, millions of farmers were engaged and substantial quantity of flowers were exported from Tamil Nadu, particularly from southern districts, to various countries, but the budget announcement was very disappointing, he added in the statement.
M.P. Raman of the Vaigai-Tirumangalam Main Canal Water Users Farmer Association, said that despite representing several times to the State government for resuming functioning of the National Cooperative Sugar Mill at Alanganallur near Madurai, no announcement regarding that was made in the budget.
In addition to this, their demand for a cold storage facility at areas with large production of jasmine in the state was unheard, he added. If cold storage facilities are set up in areas with high production of jasmine, farmers need not rush to sell their flowers which would reflect in the price of the flower positively, Mr. Raman noted.
Another farmer from Melur who spoke about the National Cooperative Sugar Mill being closed for several years, said that due to that farmers were spending double the money to travel to Sivaganga to get their sugarcanes processed.
“This not only incurs them extra cost, but also results in getting less profit,” he added.
