Palaniswami highlighted several unfulfilled promises, including the commitment to set a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹4,500 per tonne for sugarcane and the distribution of ₹10,000 annually through the Farmer Rights Card.
Chennai: Former chief minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami slammed the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Budget 2026–27 as a “huge disappointment”, giving it a score of “minus zero” for failing to introduce new schemes for farmers.
Speaking to reporters at the Chennai Secretariat following the budget presentation in the Assembly, Palaniswami accused the government of merely compiling existing departmental initiatives, rather than introducing fresh welfare programmes.
He asserted that the budget completely ignores key election promises and offers no tangible progress to uplift the state’s agricultural sector.
Palaniswami highlighted several unfulfilled promises, including the commitment to set a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹4,500 per tonne for sugarcane and the distribution of ₹10,000 annually through the Farmer Rights Card.
He further criticised the absence of a complete crop loan waiver, pointing out that the current administration merely rebranded the AIADMK regime’s flagship Kudimaramathu waterbody restoration programme.
On infrastructure failures, he condemned the practice of providing tarpaulins for temporary paddy coverage, instead of constructing permanent, secure, storage godowns.
Regarding inter-state water disputes, the former chief minister noted that the budget remained silent on the Mekedatu issue, alleging that the government has failed to protect Tamil Nadu’s water rights. He recalled that legal victories were secured under the leadership of late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and during his own tenure, whereas the present administration has struggled to secure court-mandated water releases.
Echoing these criticisms, AIADMK MLA Agri Krishnamurthy accused the government of cheating farmers with elaborate rhetoric, while refusing to fulfil its promise of a total crop loan waiver. He warned that if the government failed to provide a clear explanation regarding farm loan waivers during its official reply in the ongoing Assembly session, Palaniswami will launch a massive, statewide protest.
Following the press briefing, a brief mix-up occurred when Palaniswami mistakenly attempted to step into former deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s vehicle before aides alerted him and directed him to his own car.
