Food production in the State has crossed 1.23 crore tonnes in 2015-16 registering a 63 per cent increase when compared to 75.95 lakh tonnes in 2010-11, said Finance Minister O. Paneerselvam.
Handing over agriculture loan waiver orders to small and tiny farmers at a function here on Sunday, he said that such a massive shift in food production was owing to the effective implementation of various farmers’ schemes, making latest technologies available to farmers and awareness of good agriculture practices. Implementation of farmer- oriented policies and plans of the State government were behind this grand success, he said.
After assuming power, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had issued order waiving farmers’ loans, including crop loans and long-term farm loans, to the tune of Rs.5,780 crore . Waiver orders were being distributed to all eligible farmers in the State. A total of 16.93 lakh farmers will benefit through the loan waiver scheme.
In Theni district alone, loans to the tune of Rs.84.96 crore were waived. Around 12,450 small and tiny farmers, including 4,288 farmers in Andipatti, 4,677 in Bodi, 1,210 in Cumbum and 2,275 in Periyakulam, will benefit, Mr. Paneerselvam said.
Later, the Minister distributed cheques for Rs.1.45 lakh to 19 village poverty eradication committees. Collector N. Venkatachalam was present.
‘Such a shift in food production was owing to effective implementation of various farmers’ schemes’
