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In its agriculture budget for 2022-23, the state government focused on measures in line with its long-term objectives of ensuring food and nutritional security while indicating its intent for technological intervention in the state’s agriculture sector, among other welfare measures.
Last year, MK Stalin-led Tamil government presented its first separate agricultural budget with a vision to make Tamil Nadu among the top three states in food grain and select commercial crops production in 10 years, a move that is aimed at achieving food and nutritional security.
The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Budget 2022-23 has provided a sum of ₹33,008 crore for various schemes as compared to ₹32,776 crore (revised estimate) in 2021-22.
“Though self-sufficiency in food production has been achieved, with a view to increasing the farmer’s income through value addition and exports, a government order has been issued for establishing a Food Processing and Agro Export Promotion Corporation and preliminary works have been initiated,” said MRK Paneerselvam, the state minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, while presenting the Agriculture Budget 2022-23.
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Various schemes
Government orders have been issued for 80 out of the 86 announcements made in the last year’s Budget, and the schemes are in various stages of implementation. For the remaining six announcements that are long-term in nature, detailed guidelines are being formulated with components and estimates, he said.
The budget has allocated ₹132 crore for Dryland Development Mission covering an area of 7.5 lakh acres in 3,000 clusters to support dryland farmers to take up successful cultivation of relevant crops.
The Agri Budget has earmarked an amount of ₹2,399 crore as the state share of premium subsidy for implementing the crop insurance scheme. It has allotted ₹30 crore for various schemes under Tamil Nadu Organic Farming Mission, while ₹16 crore will be spent on the crop diversification programme.
Focus on digital
Among various other schemes and sops, this budget also spelt out the introduction of digital agriculture at an outlay of ₹8 crore.
“We will implement this in a phased manner. Here we will introduce technology to assess the cultivation of crops, damages, and for soil health conditions. Other initiatives include artificial intelligence for providing solutions and remedial measures for crop diseases etc. Online booking facilities for seedlings will help farmers with timely planting in their fields. Earlier, farmers couldn’t get their seedlings on time due to lack of information on their needs,” C Samayamoorthy, Agriculture Secretary of Tamil Nadu, told BusinessLine.
The budget has also discussed some schemes to protect the welfare of the sugarcane farmers and to improve the efficiency of sugar mills during FY23.
It has proposed to distribute 6,357 agricultural machinery and implements with subsidy assistance to small and marginal farmers in FY23.
An industrial estate for agro products will be set up in Tiruvarur district by the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (TANSIDCO) with an intent to ensure that the farmers get remunerative prices for their produce.
An amount of ₹5,157.56 crore will be provided to TANGEDCO by Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare department for providing free electricity to farmers during 2022-23.
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