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The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Award winning farmer felicitated by District Collector for traditional paddy cultivation
Kanniyakumari District Collector R. Alagumeena felicitated Belin Gold, a farmer from Achankulam village in Agasteeswaram taluk for winning first place in the state level traditional paddy cultivation yield competition. The felicitation took place at the farmers grievance redress meeting held at the district collectorate on Thursday. It is noted that Mr. Gold was also awarded with 'Bharat Ratna Doctor MGR Traditional Paddy Varieties Conservation Award' and cash prize of ₹1 lakh , which was presented by M.R.K. Paneerselvam, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, at an event held earlier this month in Chennai. During the meeting the farmers raised concerns over the delay in the projects under the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Railway departments involving the construction of culverts, bridges across water bodies. They urged the authorities to ensure the timely completion of these projects for the benefit of the farming community. Vins Antro, from Kodayar Irrigation System Project Committee said that the petition had been submitted primarily involving the Pattinam canal (Pattinamkaal), where the NHAI is currently implementing a four way lane project, expected to be complete by June or July. However, Railways had not yet commenced their double track project in the same area. 'The projects undertaken by two different departments on different time periods will severely impact the farmers, as around 15, 000 acres of agricultural land are irrigated through Pattinam canal,' he added. Farmers also submitted petitions to restore the Suchindram canal, Alanthurayar canal, and canal near the Vaigai pond in Aralvaimozhi. They also raised concerns about the heaving vehicles passing through Thovalai canal, which are damaging the weirs and the roads in the region. At the meeting, the collector assured that steps would be taken to address the petitions promptly. She directed the officials to evict the encroachments from the water bodies and announced that 'Kuruvai' packaged project had been allocated for Kanniyakumari district, urging farmers to utilise it. At the meeting it was informed that the water would be released from Pechiparai dam on June 1 or 2 for irrigation purposes.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Stalin reviews SW monsoon prep
Chennai: Chief minister on Monday reviewed and asked all district administrations to begin restoring canals and setting up . He also announced the release of water from . Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat, Stalin said Mettur reservoir held 76.06tmcft of water as of May 17. "There's enough storage to open the dam for on June 12." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He then instructed officials to complete desilting of canals ahead of the release. Stalin, hopeful of a good season, also urged agriculture officials to ensure the availability of seeds and fertilizers and asked them to implement the Kuruvai special package effectively. While India Meteorological Department has predicted a normal monsoon, he said, the govt must remain proactive to address flash floods and landslides, particularly in the western ghats, including the Nilgris. "Coastal districts too must be ready," he said. Stalin directed district collectors to keep emergency control rooms operational 24x7. Relief centres must be clean and stocked with power, water, and food. He also called for real-time power disruption alerts via SMS, with estimated restoration times included. Referring to accident-prone spots due to ongoing road works, he asked agencies to install barricades, signage, and lighting to prevent mishaps. Ministers, bureaucrats and officials from the revenue, agriculture, water resources, and public works participated in the meeting.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu records negative growth rate in agriculture and allied activities
Even as Tamil Nadu is gearing up for the upcoming Kuruvai cultivation season, it has experienced a negative growth rate in agriculture and allied activities during 2024-25, for the first time in eight years. Last year, the growth rate in real terms was minus 0.09%, according to a perusal of the data of the Gross State Value Added by economic activity for Tamil Nadu (advance estimates for the States). Assessed at constant prices (base year: 2011-12), the data were published on the website of the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation two months ago. Ironically, it was during the year in question that the State had achieved a real economic growth rate of 9.69%, the highest for any State in the country, besides being the highest for Tamil Nadu in the past 10 years. YEAR VALUE** (₹ in lakh) GROWTH RATE (%) 2015-16 10091573 2.6 2016-17 9928662 -1.612 2017-18 11127061 12.07 2018-19 11849026 6.5 2019-20 12749166 7.6 2020-21 13321030 4.5 2021-22 14071150 5.6 2022-23 14423448 2.5 2023-24 14987009 3.9 2024-25 14972823 -0.09 Note: Drawn from the table of Gross State Value Added by economic activity for Tamil Nadu, as published on the website of Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation *Crops, livestock, forestry & logging, and fishing & aquaculture are covered **At constant (2011-12) prices Natural disasters The previous occasion of negative growth in agriculture and allied activities was during 2016-17, when the State registered minus 1.61%. It was then that Tamil Nadu was adversely hit by a spell of drought and the Vardah cyclone in December 2016. A document of the State Agriculture department for 2025-26 states that crop damage was caused in an area of 9.10 lakh acres due to natural disasters such as 'unseasonal heavy rain' in January 2025, Southwest Monsoon (June-September 2024), summer rain, and the Fengal cyclone in December during the Northeast Monsoon (October-December 2024). The State government had sanctioned an amount of ₹545.56 crore for extending input subsidy to 6.16 lakh farmers. An examination of the data on components of the agriculture and allied activity category — crops, livestock, forestry and logging, and fishing and aquaculture — would reveal that last year, there was a considerable fall in respect of crops, which had seen a growth rate of minus 5.93%. As a result, the overall growth figure of the category suffered. Ordinarily, the component of crops, on average, accounts for 40%, with livestock leading with over 50%. Last year, the figure of crops was 39%. As for crops, the growth rate was 9.5% in 2021-22 followed by 3.3% next year and 4.2% in 2023-24. Conscious of the challenges being faced by the farm sector, the inaugural Economic Survey, brought out by the State Planning Commission, talks of high dependence on monsoons, adverse impact of climate change, aging farming population, shrinking landholdings, and stagnant productivity. Apart from promoting climate-resilient agriculture, the Survey refers to the need for revision of food processing policy. As regards livestock, the authorities' prescription is to ensure prompt payment to farmers based on real-time testing of milk quality. Meanwhile, with two weeks to go for the completion of the water year 2024-25, the State has realised about 298.3 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) against the stipulation of 175.8 tmc ft, the excess being around 122 tmc ft. On Friday (May 16, 2025) morning, the water level of the Mettur dam, the lifeline of the Cauvery delta, stood at 108.18 ft (full level: 120 ft) with the storage being 75.85 tmc ft, against the capacity of 93.47 tmc ft.
