The absence of announcements on implementing the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s poll promises on crop loan waiver and increasing the procurement price of paddy and sugarcane in the Agriculture Budget presented on Thursday has drawn widespread criticism from farmers’ organisations in the central region.

“Farmers were expecting announcements on the TVK’s key poll promises on crop loan waiver and an increase in procurement price. But it is highly disappointing and regrettable that the Budget is silent on the promises of full waiver of cooperative crop loans of small and marginal farmers and 50% waiver of loans taken by big farmers and increasing the procurement price of paddy to ₹3,500 a quintal and sugarcane to ₹4,500 a tonne by increasing the incentives offered by the State government over the price fixed by the Centre,” P.R. Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu.

“The government lacks clarity on crop loan waiver. It should implement its poll promises and announce the same in the current Budget session itself,” said Swamimalai Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

Farmers organisations found fault with the government for making “meagre” allocation for various initiatives announced in the Budget. “Some schemes have been announced with a long-term vision but without adequate funds,” said Mr. Pandian.

Echoing his views, G.S. Dhanapathy, State general secretary, Farmers Forum of India, said some good schemes, both big and small in scale, have been announced in the Budget. “But the financial allocations are meagre,” he said.

No incentives

Most of the initiatives announced in the Budget were introduced by the previous governments, said Cauvery Dhanapalan, president of Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu. “We were expecting cultivation incentive on the lines of the schemes implemented by various State governments such as Telangana, besides initiatives to augment water storage and renovate old irrigation structures,” Mr. Dhanapalan said.

Mr. Dhanapalan and Mr. Vimalnathan were critical of the absence of any announcement of another TVK poll promise of supplying coconut oil through the public distribution system as an alternative cooking oil.

However, most farmers representatives welcomed the move to establish a Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Income Enhancement Commission; regional centres of Tamil Nadu Food Processing and Agri Export Promotion Corporation in Tiruchi and Coimbatore; the diploma college for organic farming at Sakkottai; an Agri Business Guidance Bureau in Chennai; and the technology centres for mango, chilli and turmeric.

Published - August 06, 2026 08:26 pm IST