The Tamil Nadu government will open three agriculture colleges in the current year with an allocation of ₹30 crore, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said in the Assembly on Saturday.
The colleges will come up in Karur district, Kilvelur in Nagapattinam district and Chettinadu in Sivaganga district.
“The need for research in agriculture and studies has increased,” the Minister said, replying to the debate on the demand for grants for his Department.
He announced a ₹12-crore micro-irrigation project for 200 Adi Dravidar and tribal farmers in Ariyalur, Chengalpattu, Krishnagiri, Kancheepuram, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Theni and Virudhunagar.
Underscoring the need for packing and branding the products of farmer-producer organisations to compete with private organisations, The Minister said special markets would be set up at a cost of ₹8 crore in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem to showcase the products of products of farmer-producer organisations after packing and branding.
He said farmers should also be trained to become traders, and the Ministry would train members of the farmer-producer organisations in value addition, marketing and coordination. Five members of the organisations will be trained, and 1.6 lakh farmers will benefit from it. The allocation for this is ₹2.22 crore.
Mr. Panneerselvam said a two-year diploma course in agriculture engineering would be started at the Agriculture Engineering College and Research Institute in Kumlur, Tiruchi. Every year, 40 students will be admitted to the course, and its purpose will be to provide employment to rural students and repair agriculture machines locally.
