Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday announced that 100 enterprising farmers would be taken on educational tours to other countries that have successfully implemented advanced agricultural techniques.
Making the announcement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, she said that 10,000 farmers would similarly be taken on tours to other States in the country to study the best agricultural practices adopted there.
To increase the income of farmers in areas dependent on rains, she announced a Rs. 48.50-crore scheme to introduce integrated farming practices. “Farmers will be given cattle and sheep which will increase income. Around 40 per cent of agricultural lands in the State are rain-fed,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said.
A sum of Rs. 8 crore has been set aside to encourage organic farming practices. Farmers would be provided vermincompost, organic seeds and insects for pest control among other things given at subsidised rates. Steps would be taken to certify organic farms too, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.
The government would continue to subsidise the purchase of agricultural implements, including chaff cutters, groundnut pod strippers, gender-friendly equipment, specialised self-propelled machinery, brush cutters, multi-crop threshers and mechanical de-weeders for Rs. 80 crore.
In the last four years, subsidy worth Rs. 245 crore had been provided for the procurement of 1.72 lakh farm implements.
Ms. Jayalalithaa also announced that home garden kits to grow vegetables would be made available to residents of Tiruchi and Madurai. The Agriculture Department would tie up with the respective Corporations for the supply of seeds, grow bags and other materials.
This follows the successful implementation of the scheme in Chennai and Coimbatore where residents are enthusiastically growing vegetables at home.
10,000 farmers will be taken to other States in the country to study best practices adopted there

Source : The Hindu