Farmers express disappointment over interim Agriculture Budget

Farmers organisations in the delta region have expressed disappointment over the lack of new initiatives in the interim Agriculture Budget 206-27 tabled in the State Assembly on Tuesday.

“It is hugely disappointing that both the interim general and the Agriculture Budgets for 2026-27 are a mere compilation of the schemes implemented over the past five years,” said P. R. Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu.

In a statement, Mr Pandian said there was no announcement on implementing the election promises made by the DMK in the past, especially with respect to the waiver of cooperative and educational loans. The DMK, in its 2021 election manifesto, had promised waiver of loans taken by farmers from nationalised banks. But, so far, it had remained silent on the matter. There was no financial allocation for long-term projects such as construction of 1,000 check dams and desilting of reservoirs.

Mahadhanapuram V. Rajaram, a veteran farmers’ leader from Karur district and president of Cauvery Irrigation Farmers’ Welfare Association, observed that the Agriculture Minister read out what had been done so far.

“There was no word on ensuring remunerative prices for the struggling farmers or extending cultivation subsidy to farmers as being done in several States. In the absence of any announcement, farmers are left wondering whether we need such an Agriculture Budget,” he said.

“The allocation to the sector has been increased by about ₹1,000 crore, but a major portion of the allocation goes towards salaries, free power and incentives. Though we cannot expect much in an interim Budget, we were expecting an increase in the paddy incentive to ₹500; introduction of a pension scheme for farmers and cultivation incentive as being given in quite a few states now,” said Cauvery Dhanapalan, president, Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu.

He also felt that special funds should have been allotted in the general interim Budget for desilting water courses in the delta as it was important to begin the works in February.

“We were eagerly expecting a crop loan waiver and increase in the procurement price of paddy to ₹3,100 a quintal. They had promised ₹4,000 a tonne for sugarcane in the 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto, but there is no word on this,” said Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

In the last Budget, it was announced that a proposal to supply coconut oil instead of palm oil through the public distribution system was under consideration. But the government continued to procure palm oil against the interest of coconut farmers, he added.