VELLORE: While acknowledging that the worst drought Tamil Nadu went through in 2016 in the last 144 years had resulted in a negative growth rate in agriculture, the State government this year is rolling out an ambitious scheme to more than offset the production loss this year, thanks to the favourable southwest monsoon.
Addressing a high-level meeting of state agriculture department officers and of other related departments of eight western and northwestern districts to discuss strategies to boost food-grains production this year, the state agriculture director, Mr. Dhakshinamurthy said that an ambitious food-grains production target of 125 lakh tonnes (LT) have been set for this year.
The participating officials were from the districts of Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.
Vellore collector, Mr. S. A. Raman, additional director, Mr. Stamin was among the top officials who took part.
Stating that the government was committed to doubling farmers’ income, Mr. Dhakshinamurthy said, taking advantage of the better Southwest monsoon rains this year, which has been estimated at 32 per cent in excess of the yearly average for the season, extension workers and officials of the Agriculture department plan to visit every village, under their respective jurisdictions, to advise farmers on crops to be taken up for cultivation this year.
This programme was not only aimed at pulling out farmers psychologically from last year’s disastrous crop scenario, but also assist them to help achieve the total food-grains production target of 125 LT set for this year, he said.
Mr. Dhakshnamurthy also referred to the State government’s efforts to popularise collective farming in a bid to boost production with suitable incentives. Each farmers group with up to 100 members would be eligible for a subsidy of '5 lakh, and each farmers group with up to 1,000 members would get subsidy benefits to the tune of '10 lakh, he explained and urged the farming community to make use of this amount to significantly increase food-grains production in the state.
