Giving a fillip to farmers struggling to overcome the pandemic-induced slump, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, presenting the 2021-22 budget on Friday, announced that the base price of rubber will be hiked to ₹170 a kg from April 1. Likewise, the procurement price of paddy will go up from ₹27.48 a kg to ₹28 and that of coconut, from ₹27 to ₹32.
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Currently, the base price of rubber stands at ₹150 a kg. The assistance of the Central government is essential for raising the support price of rubber from ₹170 to ₹200, Dr. Isaac noted. A support price similar to that of coconut will be introduced for coffee cultivators in Wayanad in 2021-22, he added.
The government intends to issue an additional 10 kg of rice at ₹15 to 50 lakh families having blue and white ration cards, he said.
In 2021-22, at least ₹1,500 crore will be invested jointly by various departments, local bodies, and agricultural agencies in the agricultural production sector. The State can achieve self-sufficiency in egg, vegetables, and milk production in two-three years, he said.
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₹116 crore for paddy
The Budget has provided ₹116 crore for paddy cultivation. Out of this, ₹60 crore is allocated for providing financial assistance to farmers at the rate of ₹5500 per hectare. The local bodies will provide an additional support of ₹5,000 to Rs.10,000. An amount of ₹40 crore has been earmarked for providing royalty at the rate of ₹2,000 per hectare to farmland owners.
The Budget has earmarked ₹80 crore for the development of vegetables and tubers and ₹75 crore for replacing old coconut palms with shorter, high-yield varieties.
The government intends to create two lakh job opportunities in the agriculture sector, Dr. Isaac said. Three lakh women are employed in 70,000 farm collectives of Kudumbashree at present. During 2021-22, the number of collectives will go up to one lakh, providing employment to an additional 1.25 lakh people, he said.
The Budget provides ₹385 crore for animal husbandry and ₹50 crore is earmarked for a calf-care scheme to be jointly implemented with local bodies. The Dairy Development Department will get ₹96 crore.