Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

State plea to raise paddy support price

Photo: M. Moorthy

INSPECTION: Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam inspecting Agriculture Expo in Tiruchi on Thursday. —

TIRUCHI: The State Government has requested the Centre to hike the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam said here on Thursday.

“Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has written to the Union Government seeking a hike in the MSP. He had suggested that the MSP be fixed at Rs.1,050 a quintal for fine variety and Rs.1,000 a quintal for ordinary variety of paddy,” Mr.Arumugam said inaugurating a four-day Agriculture Expo organised by ‘Dinamalar’ here.

The State has also taken up with the Centre and insurance companies the popular demand for compensating individual farmers for crop damages under the crop insurance scheme. “We are expecting an order soon. Once it materialises, it would come as a big relief for farmers,” he said.

The Minister ruled out the possibility of any fertilizer shortage in the State this year. The government has allotted Rs.50 crores for importing di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) well ahead of the commencement of the agricultural season this year. Last year, the government imported and distributed Rs.30 crore worth of the fertilizer. There were adequate stocks of all other fertilizers and farmers need not entertain any apprehension on this score.

The government has planned to bring about 7.50 lakh hectares (ha) under the System of Rice Intensification technology, which offered a potential of achieving a productivity of up to 13 tonnes per ha. Steps have been taken to increase the coverage and productivity of pulses. The government has decided to procure pulses/millets and, if necessary, offer an incentive to help farmers get remunerative prices for their produce.

The government, he said, has also decided to extend all concessions given to industries for agro-based ventures too.

Efforts were being made to increase value addition in agriculture produce to 30 per cent (from the current 7 per cent) of the total production.

Transport Minister K.N.Nehru said the government was striving to strengthen the storage, processing/marketing infrastructure and has allotted Rs.3,900 crores, an all time high, for the agriculture sector this year.

S.Renganathan, Secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association, observed that shortage of agricultural labourers was proving to be a major problem now and appealed to the government to make more farm implements available at the village level. G.Ajithan of the Tamil Nadu Banana Growers’ Association, sought a banana marketing complex in Tiruchi region.

R.Ramasubbu, Associate Editor, Dinamalar, said the expo featured nearly 200 stalls put up by government organisations, manufacturers of farm implements and farm products from all over the country.

M.M.Mustafa, Diector National Research Centre for Banana, K.Rangaswamy, Principal, Agricultural Engineering College, Kumulur, C.Jayaraman, Principal, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute (ADARC), Thuhili C.Subramanian, K.Meena, Principal, Shrimathi Indira Gandhi College, G. Balakrishnan, former vice-principal, St. Joseph’s College, Guru Aranganathan, Professor, ADARC, and others spoke.

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