The Tamil Nadu government has set aside over Rs 520 crore for the agriculture department to set up warehouse, cold storage units, insurance cover for crops and for various grants and subsidy. Meanwhile the government is also proposing rice intensification system and a council to regulate agricultural practice.
The Minister for State Agriculture Veerapandi S Arumugam said that in 2009-10 the state government would give grant and subsidy to the tune of around Rs 40 crore for 25 lakh farmers and will spend around Rs 200 crore as premium towards covering farmers’ crops through Agriculture Insurance Company.
He noted, in 2008-09, 8.5 lakh farmers were covered under the insurance scheme and claims to the tune Rs 279.55 crore paid in last fiscal.
He added, the government is planning to expand Horticulture in 20 districts across the state through co-operative. In 2007-08, the department had spent Rs 166.21 crore and for the current fiscal Rs 112.94 crore has been allocated to continue the scheme. Another Rs 10 crore has been allocated to the Horticulture department to set up a flower garden in 18 acres at Chennai.
The state government is also planning to adopt rice intensification technology to enhance agricultural production in the state during 2009-2010.
According to the policy note presented by Agriculture Minister in the Assembly, the state government would take steps to bring 7.5 lakh hectares under the rice intensification system during 2009-2010 and more attention will be given for perfect adoption of this technology to achieve higher production in paddy.
Steps would be taken to conduct demonstrations of rice intensfication system, to cover around 50,000 hectares through various schemes. Government has also fixed a target to cover 60.50 lakh hectare for crop coverage and production during the period.
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The state government is also planning to procure 18,000 MTs of paddy seeds, 450 MTs of millets, 2,500 MTs of pulses, 6,386 MTs of oil seeds and 175 MTs of cotton seeds, which would be distributed to the farmers.
Meanwhile the government to setup an agricultural council in the state to regulate agricultural practice and maintenance of registeration of persons qualified in agriculture, horticulture and related fields.
Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Council Act, 2009 in the assembly, which was presented by the minister stated that the council would have 30 members, 20 of them whose names have been entered in the register for agricultural practitioners.
The council will be empowered to require information as to courses of study and examinations in agricultural institutions, inspect the institutions and examinations and the powers to withdraw recognition if the institutions do not conform to the standards with respect to staff, equipment, accommodation, training and other facilities for instruction and training.