The Tamil Nadu government will implement the Chief Minister’s Dryland Development Mission, and three lakh rain-fed farmers will benefit from it. The project will be implemented on an outlay of ₹146.64 crore, with Union and State government funds, Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said in the Assembly on Saturday.
“Use of new drought-resistant varieties and rainwater harvesting techniques will create a secure environment for rain-fed cultivation,” he said.
Many small and marginal farmers in Tamil Nadu are engaged in dry farming. The scheme will be implemented on 3,00,000 hectares during the current year on a cluster basis.
A cluster of 100 hectares of rain-fed land will be identified, where summer ploughing will be done, rainwater harvesting systems, such as farm ponds and contour bunding, will be created and bio-fertilizers and quality seeds of nutri-cereals, pulses and oilseeds will be distributed at subsidised rates, the Minister said.
“In addition, financial assistance will be provided for planting high-value tree saplings, farm machinery, custom hiring centres and value addition machinery centres will be established in the selected clusters. Under this scheme, priority will be given to the villages which are covered under Kalaignarin anaithu Grama Orunginaintha Velaan Valarchi Thittam,” he said.
