The aim of the agriculture budget presented by the State government was to ensure that farmers do not plead for loans from any bank in the next 10 years, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam said in the Assembly on Thursday.
During his reply to the debate on the agriculture budget, Mr. Panneerselvam said the State government had been providing farmers with the assistance they need. Farmers realised that the State listened to their requirements and needs addressed, he said. The agriculture budget was only a 10-month-old child, he said.
Referring to the distribution of 50 tree saplings to a family, Mr. Panneerselvam said, “A teak will sell for about ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh in about 10 years. In 10 years, a family will get about ₹25 lakh from these trees.”
The AIADMK did not have the heart to appreciate the people welfare schemes and have staged a walk out from the House, the Minister said. Criticising the party, he charged that the erstwhile government did not do much for agriculture, and the sugar sector was in dire straits.
The area of coverage under ‘kuruvai’ crop cultivation has increased by 1.5 lakh acre during the past 10 months across the State, the Minister said. In the next two years, sugarcane cultivation would be made profitable, he said.
