Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Saturday (March 15, 2025) announced the State government’s decision to release the Tamil Nadu Agroforestry Policy to promote the growing of commercially valuable trees such as sandal, red sanders, mahogany, and rosewood and simplify the procedures related to the registration, felling, transportation, and marketing of timber, while achieving a greener Tamil Nadu.
“Trees improve crop productivity by aiding in rainfall and enhance soil health by shedding biomass. Therefore, agroforestry is encouraged to provide additional income to farmers through the cultivation of high-value trees,” said the Minister, who presented the Agriculture Budget in the Assembly.
At a press conference following the presentation of the Budget, V. Dakshinamoorthy, the Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, said that the department is in discussions with the Forest Department to develop the agroforestry policy. He said: “Currently, the Forest regulations are quite strict. We are exploring ways to encourage farmers to cultivate commercially viable species like sandalwood, red sanders, and mahogany.”
At present, under the Tamil Nadu Timber Transit Rules of 1968, the Forest Department is responsible for approving the felling and transportation of timber.
Seed Processing Units
Reiterating that good-quality seeds were the cornerstone of farming, the Agriculture Minister said the Tamil Nadu State Seed Development Agency would distribute 39,500 metric tonnes of certified seeds of high-yielding varieties of paddy, millets, pulses, and oilseeds in 2025-26. The allocation for the scheme is ₹250 crore.
The Minister said to ensure the availability of high-quality certified seeds to farmers in time, seven State Seed Processing Units would be established at an outlay of ₹15.05 crore. Approximately 7,000 metric tonnes of breeder, foundation, and certified seeds of high-yielding, farmer-preferred varieties from other States, notified for Tamil Nadu, will be procured and distributed to farmers at subsidised rates through various Centrally sponsored schemes.
“To expedite seed processing, 3,000 metric tonnes of seeds will be processed in the Seed Processing Units of farmer rroducer organisations, and then procured. Furthermore, 1.73 lakh acre of seed farms will be registered for quality seed production, and 1.25 lakh MT of seeds will be certified in the current year. Additionally, all seed-selling points in Tamil Nadu will be continuously monitored, and seeds will undergo appropriate quality tests in order to continue ensuring the availability of quality seeds to farmers,” he said.
Mr. Panneerselvam said alternative crop cultivation schemes would be implemented to reduce the impact of climate change on crops, improve soil fertility, and encourage the cultivation of millets, pulses, and oilseed crops that require less water than water-guzzling paddy. In the current year, an alternative crop cultivation scheme will be implemented in an area of one lakh acres at an outlay of ₹12.50 crore from State funds, benefitting one lakh farmers.
He said 100 progressive farmers will be taken to countries such as Japan, China, and Vietnam that had adopted modern technologies to increase production of and productivity in paddy. The visit, he said, will help farmers learn the latest technologies and implement them in their fields. The allocation for the tour is ₹2 crore.
Published - March 15, 2025 12:01 pm IST
