Fifth exclusive agriculture budget presented in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Measures to ensure food security, special package to increase paddy area and foodgrain production in 29 non-delta districts at an outlay of Rs 102 crore, thrust to organic farming and horticultural crops, and increasing farm mechanisation were among the highlights of the fifth farm budget presented by Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam on Saturday.
In five years, the total budgetary outlay for agriculture and allied sectors has gone up by nearly Rs.10,000 crore from Rs.34,221 crore in 2021-22 to Rs.45,661 crore in 2025-26, the minister said. While the total gross cropped area has increased from 146.77 lakh acres in 2019-20 to 151 lakh acres in 2023-24, the double-crop areas in the state have risen from 29.74 lakh acres in 2019-20 to 33.60 lakh acres in 2023-24, the budget stated.
