CHENNAI: To ensure an uninterrupted supply of onions, the State will implement an Onion Cultivation Mission (OCM) at a cost of Rs 40 crore this financial year, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam announced on Wednesday. He said this in the State Assembly during the discussion on grants for his department.
Under OCM, the area under onion cultivation would be increased, and facilities to store the vegetable would be set up by providing subsidies so it can be sold based on demand, the minister said. Besides, input subsidy of Rs 8,000 per acre would be given to farmers for 27,170 hectares under OCM.
In all, Panneerselvam made 15 announcements, which would be implemented at a cost Rs 104.97 crore. To improve soil fertility and increase farmers’ income, pulses will be cultivated on rice fallows after harvesting samba paddy. A subsidy of Rs 400 per acre would be given for 10 lakh acres where moong dal would be cultivated after the samba harvest. For this, Rs 4 crore would be allocated, benefitting 12 lakh farmers.
A detailed project report would be prepared for setting up an ethanol plant using sugarcane and foodgrain waste within the sugar mill in Perambalur at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. A Cashew Development Mission to increase the cultivation of cashew in Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Pudukottai, Sivaganga and Villupuram districts would be implemented at a cost of Rs 4.20 crore. Besides, a value addition centre for jackfruit would be set up in Panruti, Cuddalore district, at a cost of Rs 3.75 crore.
Meanwhile, replying to the discussion on grants for his department, Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan made 34 announcements for this year. He said feasibility studies would be undertaken to upgrade fisheries cooperative societies to fisheries cooperative credit societies.
The minister added that the Nagapattinam fishing harbour would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 81 crore with an additional wharf, boat-repairing shed, road facilities, and sanitary complex, while groynes would be set up to prevent sea erosion at fish landing centres in Amali Nagar (Thoothukudi district) and Jeeva Nagar (Thiruchendur) at a cost of Rs 83 crore.
Fish landing centres would be set up at Nettukuppam and Thazhankuppam in Chennai district, Saattankuppam, Sunnampukulam, Arangankuppam, and Kooankuppam in Tiruvallur district, Mudaliarkuppam, Chettinagar, Pudukuppam, and Anichankuppam in Villupuram district, Chithiraipettai, Nanjalingampettai, Tsunami Nagar, Akkaraikoti, Sothikuppam, Rasapettai, and Sonankuppam in Cuddalore district, and Chandrabadi in Mayiladuthurai district. Radhakrishnan also said modern fish markets would be established in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Krishnagiri, Dindigul and Madurai at a total cost of Rs 50 crore.