Twelve districts in Tamil Nadu are likely to be severely affected by the projected Super El Niño event, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister R. Vinoth said on Thursday while presenting the TVK government's maiden Agriculture Budget in the State Assembly.
Vinoth said the budget had been prepared after consultations with stakeholders and that existing farm welfare schemes would continue alongside several new initiatives.
Referring to the projected Super El Niño, the minister said the state had stepped up preparedness by implementing the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's (TNAU) action plan. He said the phenomenon was expected to have a significant impact across the country, particularly during the Kuruvai cultivation season.
"It has been predicted that 12 districts in Tamil Nadu will experience a severe impact. Hence, the District Agricultural Contingency Plans prepared by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for all districts have been communicated to the district collectors, and all steps have been taken to implement the contingency measures holistically," he said.
As part of efforts to strengthen agricultural infrastructure, the government announced that eight Integrated Agricultural Extension Centres, each with a 300-metric-tonne warehouse, will be established at Tiruvannamalai, Katpadi and Gudiyatham (Vellore), Musiri (Tiruchirappalli), Narikudi (Virudhunagar), Bodinayakanur (Theni), Kayathar (Thoothukudi) and Thondamuthur (Coimbatore). The centres will be built at a cost of Rs 27.82 crore with funding from the Centre and the state government.
To reduce post-harvest losses, the government will distribute tarpaulins to 43,500 farmers during 2026-27 to facilitate drying and safe storage of agricultural produce. A sum of Rs 10 crore has been earmarked for the scheme.
The budget also proposed a state-level crop yield competition named after Makkal Sevagar Anjalai Ammal to encourage small and marginal farmers. Competitions will be held for 10 crops, including millets, pulses and oilseeds, with the top three performers in each category receiving cash prizes of Rs 2.5 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively. The scheme will benefit 30 farmers, with an allocation of Rs 50 lakh.
To promote organic farming, the government announced the Nammazhvar Award, under which five organic farmers will each receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a certificate of appreciation. The state has allocated Rs 11 lakh for the initiative.
The presentation briefly witnessed disruptions after Vinoth praised Chief Minister Vijay at the start of his speech, describing him as a "suit-wearing farmer". As the minister continued to laud the chief minister, Opposition DMK members objected. Speaker J. C. D. Prabhakar intervened, asking the Opposition to remain calm and directing the minister to confine his remarks to the Agriculture Budget.
(With inputs from PTI)