Food production in Tamil Nadu has reached 84 lakh tonnes in the year 2009-2010 as against 71 lakh tonnes during 2008-2009, an increase of 18 per cent. Total area under cultivation has also gone up by 13.80 per cent and touched 60.19 lakh hectares during the current year.
The state government is planning to formulate a special scheme for preventing damages caused by floods on account of inadequatedrainage capacity. The decision comes after north-east monsoon cause floods and damaged crops in the state. Meanwhile, to provide relief to the farmers who were affected by the recent rains the state has sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore relief package.
In his address at the first session of the year 2011 and the 15 th session of 13th assembly of Tamil Nadu, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said that the state has received good rains this year.
The average rainfall this year during north-east monsoon has been 1,169 millimetre (mm) till date as against the normal average of 945 mm. “A sum of Rs 500 crore for immediate relief measures, apart from this, another Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned for permanent restoration measures and works are underprogress.”
He noted, the Centre for an assistance of Rs 1,832 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund. Since paddy crop has been severely damaged by the floods in various places, compensation for damage to paddy crop has been increased to Rs 8,000 per hectare from Rs 7,500 and it was further enhanced to Rs 10,000 per hectare for the damaged paddy crop.
Similarly, the compensation has been increased for un-irrigated dry crops from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per hectare and for irrigated crops other than paddy at Rs 7,500 per hectare. “This government is formulating a special scheme for preventing damages caused by floods on account of inadequate drainage capacity in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and Thanjavur districts by establishing a proper drainage system to control the floods on a permanent basis as these districts frequently face such damages.”
Heavy rains during north-east monsoon cause floods in Sarabanga river, Thirumanimutharu and Ayyaru. An investigation will be undertaken to study the possibilities of designing a special scheme to benefit agriculture by interlinking these three rivers through a channel and diverting flood water to ponds and lakes in the dry areas of Salem, Namakkal and Trichy districts through which these rivers flow.
This will also recharge the ground water. Announcing and popularising ‘Rajarajan 1,000’ a System of Rice Intensification over a substantial area to increase the yield of paddy which is the staple food of Tamil Nadu. Special efforts are being taken to increase production as well as productivity of pulses. Similarly, efforts like precision farming, drip irrigation and farm mechanisation under National Agriculture Development Programme implemented with the Central assistance, have resulted in reduced expenditure with enhanced productivity and income besides extensive adoption of better technology by farmers.
As a result of these measures, food production has reached 84 lakh tonnes in the year 2009-2010 as against 71 lakh tonnes during 2008-2009. Compared to last year, total area under cultivation has also gone up by 13.80 percent and touched 60.19 lakh hectares during the current year.
Area under pulses has also gone up by 36.70 percent over the previous year. Despite the damages caused by floods in certain districts, food production in the State is expected to go up this year.
