Agriculture
1. INTRODUCTION
Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihood in Tamil Nadu. More than two third of rural households in the State still depend primarily on agriculture for their sustenance, with 93 percent of farmers being small and marginal. The welfare and wellbeing of the State's population mainly depends either directly or indirectly on fortunes of agriculture. Moreover, the primary responsibility of the State Government is to ensure stability in agricultural 2 sectors and sustainability in agricultural production of the State.
Agriculture is undergoing perceptible changes as it gets transformed from traditional to modern economy which is an important step towards economic development. The traditional uncompromising practices followed in the erstwhile years and the systematic method of cultivation impregnated with Good Agricultural Practices focusing on environment for production of food grains are gaining momentum in the modern agriculture. The State Government is promoting environment friendly sustainable agriculture and encouraging farmers to adopt such practices with an objective to meet the demands put forth by the growing population in the food segment as well as the raw materials for agro-based industries in an eco-friendly sustainable way.
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In Tamil Nadu, significant efforts are being made to enhance farmers' livelihoods through tailored advisories on new crop varieties and technologies suited to the state's seven agroclimatic zones. These advisories consider various soil types, rainfall patterns and crops appropriate for different climatic conditions. Additionally, several initiatives are underway to ensure consistent income and livelihood stability by encouraging farmers to diversify and integrate their activities. These activities include animal husbandry, home gardening, fish farming, beekeeping, sericulture and agroforestry. By integrating these allied activities, farmers can achieve sustained income throughout the year without relying solely on crop husbandry.
NITI Aayog is working towards the global transformation envisioned for 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, 17 SDGs have been established and various departments design and implement schemes based on these goals.
The Department of Agriculture in Tamil Nadu is specifically tasked with addressing six of these goals: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Responsible Consumption and Production and Life Below Water. The department's schemes are designed to meet these objectives and ongoing activities aim to achieve these SDGs. These schemes will continue to be implemented to ensure the attainment of the set goals.
Government of Tamil Nadu is taking all out efforts to increase productivity and farmers’ income by adopting frontier agriculture technologies to a larger extent for various crops cultivated in Tamil Nadu by actively involving farmers and extension officers with due research backing.
Agriculture in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu falls within the semi-dry subhumid to dry humid tropics category in the geographical system. It ranks as the 11th largest state in India, covering an area of 1.30 lakh sq. km. According to the 11th population census, it stands as the seventh most populous state, boasting of a population of 7.21 crore. Tamil Nadu represents four percent of the total area, six percent of the population and three percent of the water resources at the All-India level.
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The state accounts for 79.38 lakh land holders cultivate an area of 59.71 lakh hectare. As per the 10th Agricultural Census conducted by the Government of India, an overwhelming 93% of these land holdings belong to Marginal and Small farmers, overseeing 62% of the total cultivable lands. The remaining seven percent of land holdings are in the hands of medium and large farmers, managing 38% of the total cultivable lands. Notably, the average land holding area in Tamil Nadu stands at only 0.75 hectare, compared to the national average of 1.08 hectare.
Land use pattern of Tamil Nadu 2020-21 and 2022 to 2022 – 23 – A comparisons
|
Sl.
No.
|
Land Use
|
(lakh hectare)
|
|
2020-21
|
2022-23
|
Remarks
|
|
1
|
Gross cropped area
|
61.55
|
62.60
|
1.05 lakh ha increase
|
|
2
|
Current Fallow lands
|
8.93
|
8.90
|
0.03 lakh ha decrease
|
|
3
|
Other fallow lands
|
18.65
|
18.48
|
0.17 lakh ha decrease
|
|
4
|
Net cropped area
|
48.33
|
48.37
|
0.04 lakh ha increase
|
|
5
|
Cropping Intensity
|
127.35
|
129.40
|
2.05% increase
|
Tamil Nadu has only 2.5 per cent of the water resources of India. Agriculture is the largest consumer of water in the State using 75 per cent of the State’s water resources. The State has 46,540 million cubic meters (MCM) of total water potential including groundwater potential. Out of the total water potential, the total surface water potential in the State is 24,864 MCM. Hence, the Ground water is the only alternative source available for further development in agriculture. Out of total 1,166 Firkas, 427 Firkas are categorised as Safe, 462 Firkas as Over-Exploited, 79 Firkas as Critical, 163 Firkas as Semi-Critical and 35 Firkas as Saline in Ground water of the State.
Schemes in Agriculture:
Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom Scheme (CM MK MKS):
In agriculture, there is a decrease in fertility of soil, due to mono cropping and cultivation of high nutrient exhaustive crops.
Moreover, increased use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides to get high crop yields, has also reduced microbial population in soil, resulting in decline of soil health and fertility. If this situation persists, it will only leave barren soil for generations to come.
Considering this situation, the Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom Scheme (CM MK MKS) will be implemented in the year 2024-25 with a financial allocation of Rs.206 crore with 22 components to maintain soil health for supply of healthy food to the society and to protect the welfare of the people.
1) Enhancing soil fertility through green manuring in ayacut and irrigated areas in 2 lakh acre with a financial allocation of Rs.20 crore for 2 lakh farmers.
2) Provision of Vermibeds to the 10,000 farmers at the rate of 2 Nos/farmer with a financial allocation of Rs. 6 crore and also, permanent vermicompost tanks/Vermibeds will be allocated to 3560 farmers with a financial allocation of Rs.5 crore.
3) An amount of Rs.10.375 crore has been allocated for testing Soil in 2482 Village Panchayats of Kalaignarin all Village Integrated Agricultural Development Programme to issue Soil Health Cards for balanced fertilizer recommendation and Integrated Nutrient Management schemes to 3.33 lakh farmers.
4) Allotment of Rs. 22.5 crore will be made for reclamation of both Alkaline soil and Acidic soil of 37,500 acre each.
5) Liquid bio-fertilisers will be distributed at a cost of Rs 7.50 crore to 2 lakh farmers to cover an area of 10 lakh acre.
6) Field level surveillance will be conducted to provide suitable advisories and recommendations to reduce the reliance on chemicals thereby protecting soil health.
7) Free distribution of 10 lakh Neem tree saplings having ability to control pests and diseases with a financial allocation of Rs. 2 crore in Agro forestry scheme.
8) Plant species like Adathoda and Nochi which have natural bio-insecticidal properties will be promoted by distribution of 50 lakh saplings for planting in fallow lands and fields with an outlay of Rs.1 crore.
9) Traditional paddy varieties with traditional properties like Seevan Samba having capacity to control diabetes will be distributed for cultivation in an extent of 1,000 acre.
10) To conserve traditional paddy varieties, seeds of 200 MT of traditional paddy varieties will be produced for cultivation in an extent of 10,000 acre with an allocation of Rs.50 lakh for seed distribution.
11) The seeds of traditional varieties of Millets and Pulses with immunity boosting feature will be produced in State Seed Farms and used for developing new varieties and to improve existing varieties.
12) To create awareness on organic farming, one model organic farming plot will be established in one village per block, with a financial allocation of Rs.38.50 lakh.
13) Provision of Rs. 27 crore for the 725 organic farming clusters to complete certified organic standards with all the activities from sowing to marketing to improve profit of the farmers.
14) Rupees one crore will be allocated to establish 100 Organic input units for organic farming.
15) A financial allocation of Rs.13 crore will be made to produce quality saplings under agro-forestry schemes.
16) To promote crop cultivation along with rearing of milch cow / goats, fruit tree saplings, vermicompost production and apiculture, 14,000 Integrated Farming Units will be formed with an allocation of Rs.42 crore.
17) To promote profitable cultivation of crops in rainfed areas, distribution of seeds covering 3 lakh acre will be provided with a financial allocation of Rs.36 crore.
18) An outlay of Rs. 4 crore will be allocated to encourage cultivation of nutritious fruit crops viz., banana, papaya and moringa in home gardens.
19) Considering the significance of bees in cross pollination and health benefits for people, centre with honey testing and processing facilities will be established at Kanyakumari to provide bee keeping trainings also with an allocation of Rs. 3.60 crore.
20) Climate Smart Villages will be developed for creation of awareness and dissemination of appropriate climate mitigation technologies to farmers, by Agricultural Extension Officers with an allocation of Rs.1.48 crore.
21) Research on soil microbiome engineering will be undertaken at an outlay of Rs.1.39 crore to develop and evaluate microbial consortia for the decomposition of organic matter, including crop residues, to increase soil carbon and convert unavailable nutrients into available forms.
22) About 100 Uzhavar Angadis will be established at an outlay of Rs.5 crore by procuring directly, and doing grading, packing and branding to ensure availability of quality agricultural produces and value added products to urban consumers also.
Soil Resources in Tamil Nadu
The earth needs to be nurtured with a mother’s care because; Earth gives everything for sustaining life. Soils that form one of the most precious natural resources of earth. For sustainable agricultural production, it is necessary to focus attention on the soil and the climate resource base, current status of soil degradation and soil-based agro technology for optimizing land use. India lives in villages and agriculture forms the backbone of the Country’s economy. Soil is the natural and a vital resource for growing food, fiber and firewood to meet the human needs. The Soils are highly vulnerable to degradation and nature takes very long period to form an inch of the top soil mainly due to the combined effects of climate, vegetation, organisms, relief and time on the rocks and parent material. Soil is a life supporting system upon which human beings have been dependent from the dawn of the civilization.
The soil performs many functions such as media for biomass production, filtering and buffering, a habitat and gene reservoir, a source of raw materials, a substrate for buildings, roads and other structures and as an archaeological artifact. Impairment in any function of soils reduces their quality, value and capacity to provide the basic necessities to support ecosystems. Hence, comprehensive information on soil resources in terms of types of soils, their spatial distribution, extent, their limitations, erosion, salinization / alkalization, water logging and their potential / capabilities, is required for a variety of purposes such as command area development, soil Conservation in catchment areas, rain fed farming, watershed management and reclamation of degraded lands. Such information also plays an important role in non-agricultural sectors like, construction of roadways, railways, dams and engineering structures, etc. Management of soil resources is essential for continued agricultural productivity and protection of the environment.
Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of India. It is located between 8.05’ and 13.35’ North latitudes and 76.14’ and 80.21 East longitudes. It covers an area of about 13 Mha and accounts for about 4 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. The Tamil Nadu State forms part of the peninsular shield and composed of geologically ancient rock of diverse origins (i.e. different soils). About three – fourth of the area of the state is unclassified crystalline rocks of Achaean age and the rest is sedimentary rocks.
The State can broadly be divided into three major physiographic divisions and 10 land forms. The climate is Semi-arid in the plains and humid to Sub-humid in the hills with annual rainfall from 750 mm in some parts of the plains to over 2400 mm in the high hills. In all 94 soil families, classified into six orders. Soil depth is not a limiting factor for crop growth in Tamil Nadu (14% shallow and very shallow soils of a TGA of the state). The texture of soils of Tamil Nadu covers a wide range from sand to clay (18% sandy surface 53% loamy and 22% clay). The soil drainage is not a major problem for crop production in the state (14% poorly to imperfectly drained soils, 64% moderately drained to well-drained soil and 15% of TGA excessively drained soils).
The soil calcareousness affects 34 per cent of the area in the Tamil Nadu State. Regarding Land Capability classification in Tamil Nadu, 79 per cent of the area is suitable for cultivation and 21 per cent of the area is not suitable for cultivations. Of the lands suited for cultivation, good land (class II) covers about 34 per cent, moderately good land (class III) covers about 30 per cent and fairly good land (class IV) covers an out of 15 per cent of the area of the state.
Average Rainfall of Tamil Nadu:
The annual average rainfall in Tamil Nadu remains as 919.8 mm. The total rainfall received in the year 2023 is 1,035 mm.
Sources of Irrigation
The details of net area irrigated using various sources of irrigation across the State during the year 2022-23 are as follows:-
Water Source wise Net Area Irrigated 2022-23
|
Source Net Area
|
Availability (Nos)
|
Irrigated (lakh ha.)
|
% with reference to Net Area Irrigated
|
|
Canals
|
2,241
|
6.83
|
23.39
|
|
Tanks
|
41,123
|
3.99
|
13.66
|
|
Tube Wells & Bore wells
|
3,71,084
|
5.42
|
18.56
|
|
Open wells
|
14,69,659
|
12.92
|
44.25
|
|
Others
|
45,129
|
0.04
|
0.14
|
|
Total
|
29.20
|
100.00
|
Source: Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Tamil Nadu (2022-23)
About 63% of the cultivated area is irrigated by wells, borewells and open wells, while 23% is irrigated by canals and the remaining 14% is irrigated by tanks.
Utilization of irrigation water resources
The irrigated area from wells, borewells and open wells expanded to 18.38 lakh hectare (an increase of 0.16 percent) in 2022-23, upward from 18.35 lakh hectare in 2021-22.
AGRO-CLIMATIC REGIONS OF TAMIL NADU
Tamil Nadu Government that leaves no stone unturned for uplifting the economic status of farmers has conceived agriculture – demand led –industrialization strategy to increase the agricultural productivity so as to expand the internal demand for intermediate and consumer goods which would generate higher income for the farmers. Tamil Nadu State has been classified into seven distinct agro-climatic zones based on rainfall distribution, irrigation pattern, soil characteristics, cropping pattern and Portal other physical, ecological and social characteristics Including administrative divisions.
(Source: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University)
AGRO CLIMATIC REGIONS OF TAMIL NADU
|
S.
No
|
Agro Climatic Zones
|
Districts Covered
|
|
1
|
North Eastern Zone
|
Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Vellore, Villupuram and Tirunvannamalai
|
|
2
|
North Western Zone
|
Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem and Namakkal (Part)
|
|
3
|
Western Zone
|
Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Theni, Karur (part), Namakkal (part), Dindigul, Perambalur and Ariyalur (part)
|
|
4
|
Cauvery Delta Zone
|
Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Trichy and parts of - Karur, Ariyalur, Pudukkottai and Cuddalore
|
|
5
|
Southern Zone
|
Madurai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi
|
|
6
|
High Rainfall Zone
|
Kanyakumari
|
|
7
|
Hilly Zone
|
The Nilgiris and Kodaikanal (Dindigul)
|
Source: Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, GoTN
Source:
1. https://www.tnagrisnet.tn.gov.in/
2. Policy Note 2024-2025
3. Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops
4. http://www.agritech.tnau.ac.in/