Farm mechanisation, marketing mechanism preferred by farmers: Minister

15 such meetings with farmers have been held so far, says Panneerselvam

Farm mechanisation and agriculture produce marketing schemes are the two major demands put forth by the farmers at the budgetary allocation consultative meeting convened by the Agriculture Department here on Sunday.

Disclosing this to reporters here on Sunday after chairing the meeting with farmers hailing from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Ariyalur districts, Agriculture Minister M.R.K.Panneerselvam said that the budgetary allocation for agriculture was prepared last year based on demands and requirements put forth by the farming community.

Farmers were happy on witnessing the demands and requirements raised by them last year getting fulfilled, the Minister claimed and said this year they have suggested farm mechanisation could be taken up on a larger scale in view of the inadequate availability of farmhands. Further, the farmers in this region have demanded that paddy dryers be made available in adequate numbers to overcome the problem of higher moisture content in paddy while measuring them at the direct purchase centres.

Assuring the farmers that their demands, including the evolving of an effective marketing mechanism for the sale of agriculture produces, would be considered, the Minister said that the next agriculture season in Tamil Nadu would be declared as a “siruthanyangal aandu” (Year of millets) as the pilot project of promoting millet cultivation as an alternative to paddy in Thanjavur district had evoked a favourable response from the cultivators.

Pointing out that 15 consultative meetings with farmers have been held so far, Mr. Panneerselvam said that initiatives to reclaim the soil, which had lost its fertility due to excessive application of chemicals in agricultural operations, by shifting the focus on natural farming activities. Further, the ‘Kalaignar Velaan Marumalarchi Thittam’ would be implemented in 1,997 villages across the State to improve farming activities.

Claiming that preservation of paddy had become a problem in view of higher production of paddy during the last few years, he said that promotion of millet cultivation was considered as an alternative to paddy cultivation.

School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Agricultural Production Commissioner C. Samayamoorthy, Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver and others participated in the meeting.