The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : State can achieve 4 per cent growth in agriculture

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Wednesday, Jun 27, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

State can achieve 4 per cent growth in agriculture

Staff Reporter

Planning Commission keen on reforming education sector

Distribution of free land, incentives have helped farmers
XI Plan will be ready by August

Erode: A silent revolution in agriculture is going on in Tamil Nadu. Farmers in the State have been able to produce 96 million tonnes of food grains in 2006-07, after difficult years of drought and floods.

The State has achieved this after seven years. This augurs well and shows that 4 per cent growth in the sector can be achieved, M. Naganathan, Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Commission, told a press conference here on Tuesday.

Industry

“Indian economy is based on agriculture, industry and service sector. While industry and service sector are doing well, agriculture has not yielded good results. But, fortunately, the agriculture sector in Tamil Nadu has been looking up.

The various welfare measures of the State Government have helped the farmers in a big way,” Dr. Naganathan said.

Interest rates

The reduction of interest rates for cooperative loans to 5 per cent, distribution of free land and the offer of Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 20,000 to cultivate an acre, had motivated farmers to perform better in the face of hardships, he said.

Expert committees

Speaking on the draft of the XI Plan that would be ready by the end of August, he said: “Thirty three expert committees are working on the draft. This is the first time that a draft has been circulated to the common public. A copy of it has been sent to all the districts to get their opinion. We have received nearly a thousand suggestions. We have segregated the needs of each district.”

Changes

He said that the Commission was keenly working on changing the school, college and university education patterns.

Changes would be brought about in a gradual manner, he added.

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