Tiruchi, May 19: Farmers across Tamil Nadu are hopeful that the newly elected government, led by the TVK party, will continue the tradition of presenting a separate agricultural budget. They are urging the government to engage in extensive consultations with farming communities before finalizing its proposals.
Farmer organizations have requested direct discussions with the government prior to the budget announcement. They believe this approach will help address their concerns and priorities, ensuring that farmers’ voices are included in policy decisions and welfare measures. Past consultations have proven effective in this regard.
In the financial year 2021-22, Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to present a separate agricultural budget. The previous government conducted 28 consultation meetings across the state, involving farmers, agricultural unions, organic farming groups, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), machinery manufacturers, seed producers, traders, dairy and poultry farmers, fishermen, experts, and elected representatives.
In addition to direct discussions, suggestions were also gathered through petitions and emails before finalizing the budget proposals.
The agricultural budget emphasized crop diversification, innovative farming methods, improved market access, promotion of organic farming, nutrition-related initiatives, and technological advancements in farming practices. It also included announcements related to subsidies and incentives aimed at benefiting farmers.
Representatives from the farming community stated that these consultation meetings provided an opportunity for farmers to voice their concerns and prioritized demands. They noted that selected representatives from farmer unions were invited to Chennai to participate in discussions before finalizing the budget proposals.
Farmers are hopeful that the new government will prepare its first budget and suggest that, despite the limited time, region-specific consultations should still be conducted. They believe such meetings will help identify local challenges and agricultural priorities specific to each region.
However, some farmer leaders argued that merely having a separate agricultural budget will not resolve the sector’s core issues unless the state receives adequate financial support. They emphasized that obtaining pending funds and fulfilling promises related to procurement prices for rice and sugarcane would provide more immediate relief and strengthen the agricultural sector.
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