CM Vijay hikes paddy incentives, raises sugarcane procurement price

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Monday announced higher incentives for paddy and sugarcane farmers, raising the effective procurement prices as part of the state government’s efforts to improve farm incomes and provide better returns for agricultural produce.

Making a statement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, CM Vijay said the government would provide an additional incentive of Rs 289 per quintal for fine-variety paddy and Rs 150 per quintal for common-variety paddy over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed for the crops.

Following the revision, farmers supplying fine-variety paddy will receive Rs 2,750 per quintal, while the procurement price for common-variety paddy will increase to Rs 2,600 per quintal.

The Chief Minister said the enhanced support was intended to reduce the financial pressure on cultivators and ensure remunerative prices for their produce.

The announcement is likely to benefit a large number of paddy growers across Tamil Nadu, particularly farmers dependent on government procurement centres to market their harvest.

Paddy remains one of the state’s major crops, and procurement prices have a significant bearing on farmers’ earnings during the cultivation season.

CM Vijay also announced a substantial increase in the incentive extended to sugarcane growers supplying their produce to sugar mills in the state.

The Centre currently provides Rs 3,290.50 per tonne for sugarcane supplied to mills. The Tamil Nadu government will provide an additional incentive of Rs 709.50 per tonne, taking the total amount received by farmers to Rs 4,000 per tonne.

Highlighting the significance of the decision, the CM said this was the first time the total procurement price for sugarcane had reached the Rs 4,000-a-tonne mark in Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister also described the revised paddy incentive as an important measure for cultivators, pointing out that the incentive for common-variety paddy had been increased by Rs 150 per quintal.

The announcements come amid demands from farmers for higher procurement prices to offset rising expenditure on agricultural inputs, labour and cultivation.

CM Vijay said his government remained committed to protecting the interests of the farming community and would continue to introduce measures aimed at strengthening agriculture and improving farmers’ livelihoods across the state.

IANS