Govt tackles drought in 492 areas amid El Nino impact

Tamil Nadu's new agriculture budget, presented by state minister R Vinoth on Thursday, totals ₹58,374.09 crore. The budget focuses on mitigating the impact of the Super El Nino phenomenon, which is expected to heavily affect 12 districts this year, particularly during the Kuruvai short term season, typically in June, July, and August.

To prepare for these challenges, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has created a District Agricultural Contingency Plan for all districts, which has been communicated to district collectors. Vinoth said that steps are being taken to implement the contingency measures indicated in the plan holistically.

In addition to the contingency plan, several initiatives were announced. A five-year Soil Fertility Mission is to be launched with an estimated outlay of ₹600 crore, aimed at ensuring future generations inherit fertile Tamil soils. Soil Health Cards will be distributed to 100,000 farmers, costing ₹4 crore from state funds. AI and Machine Learning technologies will be utilized to provide farmers with real-time information on soil health and crop cultivation.

The government will also provide farmers with knowledge-based agricultural services through voice-first agriculture services and government scheme information accessible through mobile phones. An amount of ₹2 crore will be allocated from state funds towards the implementation of the Uzhavar Artificial Intelligence Scheme during 2026-27.

A "Cotton Renaissance Mission" will be launched as a five-year mission with an outlay of ₹27.21 crore, impacting 73,360 acres of land and benefiting 40,000 cotton farmers. Additionally, an agricultural technology research centre will be established in Ooty, Tamil Nadu's hill district, costing ₹10 crore. The centre will focus on enhancing dairy development by establishing 500 medium-scale dairy farms for farmers in the Nilgiris district.