The Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association has welcomed the new initiative announced in the Union Budget with an aim to promote organic farming in the country.
Welcoming the announcements, union secretary Sundara Vimalnathan suggested that the plan to set up cold storage facilities for agricultural produce at district headquarters could be extended to taluks as well.
Requesting to increase the annual assistance to farmers from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 per year through the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, he demanded that all farmers be covered under the scheme and given interest-free crop loans.
Meanwhile, the Thanjavur district unit of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said the Union Budget has disappointed farmers.
Sangam’s Thanjavur district secretary NV Kannan said not a single announcement about development of agricultural operations or protecting the interests of the farming community found a place in the budget.