THANJAVUR: Farmers in the delta region welcomed the announcement made by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday, increasing the incentive for paddy and sugarcane farmers. However, a section of farmers said the amount was less than what had been promised by the TVK in its election manifesto.
Sami Natarajan, state general secretary of the TN Farmers Association, said the union government increased MSP for paddy only by Rs 69 per quintal, whereas the TVK government increased the incentive by Rs 289 per quintal. “The quantum of hike is unprecedented in the state,” he added.
S Vimalnathan of TN Cauvery farmers protection association wanted the government to reconsider the incentive and fix it at Rs 3,500 per quintal for common and fine varieties of paddy. “If there is financial hardship now, the government can give Rs 3,100 per quintal and credit the remaining Rs 400 next year”, he suggested.
P Govindaraj, secretary of the Sugarcane Farmers Association, pointed out that the TVK government has announced Rs 4,000 per tonne of sugarcane. “It would have been better if the government had announced Rs 4,500 per tonne as promised in its manifesto,” he said. “I hope that, if the state’s financial position improves in the coming years, government will provide a further increase in the incentive,” said S R Tamilselvan of TN Farmers’ Protection Association, Nagapattinam.
P Ayyakannu, president of the Desiya Thenninthiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, described the hike as meagre. “Farmers have been demanding an MSP of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane. The hike in incentive will in no way compensate for the escalating cost of production, particularly when there is no water to irrigate crops,” Ayyakannu said.
Farmers in Villupuram also welcomed the initiative. G Kalivardhan, secretary of sugarcane farmers association in Villupuram said, “The previous government promised the same Rs 4,000 increase for sugarcane MSP but never gave it in all its all five years.”
P Murali from Molayanur village in Pappireddipatti, Dharmapuri, said, “ The incentives will bring no benefits to farmers. It is is merely an eyewash, if we had suitable profits in the market, why would we need incentives.”