In a historical first, the State government will present a separate budget for agriculture on August 14.

Agriculture is the soul and body of the country and needs special attention, said Chief Minister MK Stalin in his address at MS Swaminathan Research Foundation’s (MSSRF) Annual Day and Virtual Consultation on Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security in the Context of Climate Change and Covid-19 Pandemic.

Stalin said that the State government will also pay special attention to organic farming and ‘ Uzhavar Sandhai ’. Village markets will be renovated and new schemes are being planned to regulate the usage of groundwater.

The State government considers climate change an important issue. It is also committed to the State becoming self-sufficient in food production, and increasing the area under agriculture. There is a need to create a conducive environment where farmers consider agriculture a lucrative business, he added.

National policymakers, scientists, and global experts on climate change, agriculture, and food and nutrition, are attending the three-day annual event intended to refocus the global narrative around food and nutrition security in the times of climate change, an issue which had been sidelined by the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts will discuss ways to tackle the pandemic induced food and nutrition crisis, said a release from the MSSRF.

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