Agriculture Budget: T.N. to implement Hill Farmers Development Scheme for cultivation of minor millets

Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Saturday (March 14, 2025) announced the implementation of Malaivazh Uzhavar Munnetra Thittam (Hill Farmers Development Scheme) with a financial allocation of ₹22.80 crore for the welfare of 63,000 hill farmers.

Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Saturday (March 14, 2025) announced the implementation of Malaivazh Uzhavar Munnetra Thittam (Hill Farmers Development Scheme) with a financial allocation of ₹22.80 crore for the welfare of 63,000 hill farmers.

“The scheme will include cultivation of minor millets, distribution of inputs, area expansion in vegetable crops, farm machineries, value addition, and Micro Irrigation and Integrated Farming System. The beneficiaries will also get Kisan credit cards,” said the Minister while presenting the Agriculture Budget for 2025.

The scheme will be implemented in 20 districts, namely Tiruvannamalai, the Nilgiris, Salem, Kallakurichi, Namakkal, Tiruchirappalli, Dindigul, Tirupathur, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Kanniyakumari, Theni, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Erode, Tiruppur, Villupuram, and Coimbatore.

The Minister told the Assembly that the government has decided to establish 1,000 Chief Minister’s Farmers Service Centres. The objective of the centre is to utilise the expertise and technical knowledge of 4,000 agriculture graduates and 600 diploma holders who complete their courses every year.

“₹42 crore from the State Budget will be earmarked for this scheme. These centres will serve as hubs for agricultural support, offering essential inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, and other farming necessities. Additionally, they will provide expert guidance on enhancing crop productivity, pest and disease management, the adoption of modern technologies, and value addition techniques,” he said.

As rainfed agriculture is practised over an area of 56.41 lakh acres, relying solely on rainwater as the irrigation source, the Minister said summer ploughing would be encouraged in these areas. The allocation for the scheme is ₹24 crore, and the ploughing will cover three lakh acres at the rate of ₹2,000 per hectare.

The Village Outreach Campaign, announced by the Minister, is aimed at taking farming to the next level. The block-level officials of all the departments under Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, allied departments like Animal Husbandry and Co-operation, along with scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, will meet 15 farmers in revenue villages to provide technical advisories and explain the schemes related to Agriculture and allied departments.