Chennai, Oct 11 (PTI) The pro-farmers initiatives of the DMK government ensured a turnaround in the agriculture sector, improving the lot of ryots and preventing farmers’ suicide in Tamil Nadu, state Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam has said.

With separate budgetary allocation for agriculture and related improvement measures, Tamil Nadu is now aiming to lead India in agriculture, he said.

"There was a situation in the past where farmers committed suicide. With the implementation of various new schemes by the current government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, to protect the welfare of farmers, such a situation no longer exists in Tamil Nadu," the minister said, while speaking at the National Coconut Conclave at Dona Paula organised by Gomantak Private Ltd Sakal Media Group in association with Government of Goa and 'Agrowon', country's only agriculture daily newspaper on October 10.

Panneerselvam said Tamil Nadu was growing fast in agriculture. "About 24 lakh free agricultural electricity connections have been provided in Tamil Nadu and the electricity bill for the same is being paid by the government. We are the top producers of cashew and coconut in India," he said in a release here today.

Around 40 per cent of Tamil Nadu farmers grow coconut.

"With the strong leadership of our chief minister, we want to make Tamil Nadu the best farming state in the country," Panneerselvam said.

After the DMK government took charge, the chief minister announced a separate budget for agriculture and allocated about Rs 50,000 crore every year and this has been saving the large population of farmers in Tamil Nadu. Efforts were on to increase paddy production. Progress was being made in the production of coconut and other food grains. "We have set up a separate Cashew Board to excel in cashew production and are also providing necessary assistance," he said.

Further, the government provided Rs 5,971 crore to 16 lakh farmers under crop insurance. The government created 193 farmers' markets across Tamil Nadu and 8,000 farmers who cultivate vegetables and fruits were selling their produce directly through the farmers' markets, selling 2,300 metric tonne of vegetables per day. This benefitted three lakh consumers per day, he added.

Similarly, special attention was being paid to increasing sugarcane and sorghum production at the Indian level.

Coconut farming was encouraged by increasing the price of copra and providing new varieties of saplings to coconut farmers. About 50,32,000 coconut saplings have been provided free of cost to farmers so far through the Kalaignar Integrated Agricultural Development Project, Panneerselvam said. PTI JSP JSP KH

Tamil Nadu agriculture initiatives claim to have improved farmer welfare, expanded support services, and reduced farmer suicides. Tamil Nadu implemented an agricultural package centred on a separate annual agriculture budget of about Rs 50,000 crore, free agricultural electricity via about 24 lakh connections funded by the state, and Rs 5,971 crore in crop insurance benefits to 16 lakh farmers. The government created 193 farmers' markets for direct sales (serving roughly 2,300 metric tonnes daily and 300,000 consumers), set up a Cashew Board, and distributed over 50 lakh coconut saplings while pursuing measures to boost paddy, cashew, coconut, sugarcane and sorghum production.