Tamil Nadu records negative growth rate in agriculture and allied activities

Tamil Nadu records negative growth rate in agriculture and allied activities

Even as Tamil Nadu is gearing up for the upcoming Kuruvai cultivation season, it has experienced a negative growth rate in agriculture and allied activities during 2024-25, for the first time in eight years.

Last year, the growth rate in real terms was minus 0.09%, according to a perusal of the data of the Gross State Value Added by economic activity for Tamil Nadu (advance estimates for the States). Assessed at constant prices (base year: 2011-12), the data were published on the website of the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation two months ago.

Ironically, it was during the year in question that the State had achieved a real economic growth rate of 9.69%, the highest for any State in the country, besides being the highest for Tamil Nadu in the past 10 years.

Note: Drawn from the table of Gross State Value Added by economic activity for Tamil Nadu, as published on the website of Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

*Crops, livestock, forestry & logging, and fishing & aquaculture are covered

**At constant (2011-12) prices

The previous occasion of negative growth in agriculture and allied activities was during 2016-17, when the State registered minus 1.61%. It was then that Tamil Nadu was adversely hit by a spell of drought and the Vardah cyclone in December 2016.