CHENNAI: In his response to the discussions on the agriculture budget, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare MRK Panneerselvam assured the Assembly that the electoral commitment to provide a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,500 per quintal for paddy will be realised within the next two years.
During his address, Panneerselvam addressed concerns raised by members regarding the sale of coconut oil through Public Distribution System (PDS) shops. He emphasised the importance of raising awareness among the public about the utilisation of coconut oil for cooking before implementing such a distribution plan. To achieve this awareness, he added the government has planned to organise a food festival for utilising coconut oil for cooking.
Furthermore, the minister disclosed the government has allocated `36 crore to combat various diseases affecting coconut trees. Discussing the achievements of the millet mission, he highlighted an increase in the cultivation area of small grains, reaching 9.38 lakh hectares for the current year, up from 9.23 lakh hectares in the previous year.