Minister R. Vinoth addresses the consultative meeting in Tirunelveli on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN
Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare R. Vinoth on Saturday said that each district and region of the State had its own characteristics and distinct needs, and the idea was to plan the budget according to the needs of the region rather than adopt a common approach.His remarks came at a consultative meeting with farmers from 10 southern districts to gather inputs and suggestions for the Agriculture Budget 2026-27. Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises P. Mathan Raja was present.The meeting, which was held at the Collectorate here, saw the participation of farmers from Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Madurai, Theni and Dindigul districts.Addressing the gathering, Mr. Vinoth said that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had instructed them to hold extensive consultative meetings with farmers, representatives of agricultural associations and other stakeholders to gather their opinions, suggestions and field experience to prepare the budget in an effective and farmer-friendly manner.As part of the initiative, consultative meetings were held in Vellore, Salem and Thanjavur zones. Plans would be formulated after listening to the views of farmers and representatives of agriculture associations to enhance farmers’ income and improve their livelihood, thereby ensuring the State’s long-term economic development. The focus areas included quality agriculture inputs, integrated farming, resource conservation, natural farming, and price protection of agricultural produce.“A target of 1,31,36,000 metric tonnes of foodgrains production has been set for 2026-2027, and schemes such as Pulse Self Sufficiency Mission, National Mission on Edible Oils and National Food Security and Nutrition Mission are being implemented with the objective of expanding the cultivation area, increasing productivity and promoting agricultural technologies to face climate change,” Mr. Vinoth said.The State Government was taking various measures to promote the use of farm machinery in agriculture. Cold storage and other value adding infrastructure facilities would continue to be improved to ensure that farmers received remunerative prices for their produce and post-harvest losses were reduced.During the meeting, the farmers put forward suggestions and highlighted the needs of their regions and districts.Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to the Government P. Shankar, Director of Agriculture, Agriculture Directorate K.V. Muralidharan, Collector Anand Mohan and other officials were present at the meeting. Published - July 11, 2026 06:32 pm IST
