Delta farmers apprehensive of farm laws, Mettur-Sarabanga project
Alongside the protest against the three new farm laws, issues concerning agriculture have dominated the political discourse in Tamil Nadu as the government came up with one announcement after another in the run-up to the Assembly election.
Although measures such as loan waiver and compensation for crop damage provide succour to farmers, many in the Cauvery delta region believe the agrarian crisis runs deeper. Vagaries of monsoon and the uncertain flow in the Cauvery, labour shortage and rising wages, spiralling cultivation costs and poor returns have all worn down the farmers.
“The foremost concern is that returns do not match production cost be it of paddy, sugar cane, cotton or any other crop,” says Cauvery S. Dhanapalan, general secretary of the Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.
Input relief for farmers affected by recent cyclones welcomed
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Farmers organisations have welcomed Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami’s announcement sanctioning input relief for farmers affected by recent cyclones – Nivar and Burevi. Expressing gratitude to the government for accepting their pleas for increasing the relief given under the disaster relief fund to ₹20,000 from ₹13,500 a hectare, P. R. Pandian, president, Tamil Nadu All Farmers Associations Coordination Committee, observed that for several years the relief given under fund had not been increased. “We have been pressing for a hike taking into account the increase in input and cultivation costs,” he said, expressing delight over the hike in the quantum of compensation.