Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay announces increased procurement incentives for farmers

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay announced an increase in state procurement incentives for paddy and sugarcane farmers while addressing the state legislative assembly under Rule 110. The new rates provide an additional 289 rupees per quintal for fine paddy and 150 rupees per quintal for common paddy, bringing the total procurement price to 2,750 rupees and 2,600 rupees per quintal respectively. For sugarcane, the state government will provide a special incentive of 709.50 rupees per tonne in addition to the central government price of 3,290.50 rupees per tonne.

The government stated that the decision was made to protect the interests of farmers and reduce the burden of production costs, despite the state's current fiscal situation. While some farmers' associations have welcomed the announcement, representatives from certain political parties have argued that the incentive amounts are insufficient and have called for further increases to better support agricultural income.