A total of 14,000 Integrated Farming System units will be established with an outlay of ₹42 crore, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam said, while presenting the Agriculture Budget 2024 in the Assembly on Tuesday.
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Under the Integrated Farming System, farmers are encouraged to diversify their agricultural practices by incorporating crop cultivation with complementary activities such as dairy farming, goat rearing, fruit tree cultivation, honey bee rearing and vermicompost production.
“This approach aims to achieve self-sustaining livelihoods through holistic development. Over the past three years, 40,888 units have been successfully established, at a cost of ₹142 crore benefiting 40,888 farmers,” he said.
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Boost for organic farming
The Minister said a sum of ₹27 crore would be allocated to foster comprehensive organic farming practices and secure organic certification. This would help the 725 Organic Farming Clusters that were established during 2023-2024 covering 35,815 acres in 36 districts.
Click here to read the full text of Tamil Nadu Agriculture Budget 2024-25
To encourage farmer groups interested in the production and sale of organic inputs like panchakavya, jeevamirtham, vermicompost, amirthakaraisal and meen amilam among others, necessary for organic production, 100 Organic Input Production Centres would be established at a cost of ₹1 crore, he said.
In order to promote the concept of organic farming among farmers, one model organic farm would be created in each block of the State, he said and added that farmers will be encouraged, trained and guided on schemes available for organic farming, certification methodologies, organic input production and marketing of organic produce.
Budget for Millet Mission
The government has allocated ₹65.30 crore for the ‘Tamil Nadu Millet Mission’ during 2024-25, which is being implemented for five years from 2023-24 to 2027-2028 in the two millet special zones. The mission aims to increase the area, production and productivity of major millets like Sorghum, Pearl millet, Finger millet and minor millets like Kodo millet, Proso millet, Barnyard millet, Little millet and Foxtail millet. Two Millet Special Zones encompass 25 districts of Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Panneerselvam said that a ‘Honey Production Hub’ would be established in Kanniyakumari district with a budget of ₹3.60 crore, recognizing the significance of beekeeping for public health. The Hub would have a honey testing lab, a processing laboratory for honey and its byproducts, besides having providing training to beekeepers, he said.