AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT POLICY NOTE Demand No. 5 - AGRICULTURE 2020 - 2021 © GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU 2020 Policy Note 2020-2021 INDEX S.No. Contents Page No. Introduction 1-13 1. Agriculture 14-180 Horticulture and Plantation 2. 181-261 Crops 3. Agricultural Engineering 262-321 Agricultural Education, Research 4. 322-354 and Extension Education 5. Sugar 355-363 Seed Certification and Organic 6. 364-387 Certification Agricultural Marketing and 7. 388-463 Agri Business Tamil Nadu Watershed 8. Development Agency 464-479 (TAWDEVA) 9. Demand 480-483 Conclusion 484-489 INTRODUCTION “RH‹W«V®¥ ËdJ cyf« mjdhš cHªJ« cHnt jiy” (ÂU¡FwŸ: 1031) Agriculture, though laborious, is the most excellent (form of labour); for people, though they go about (in search of various employments), have at last to resort to the farmer. ***** Tamil Nadu is the 11th largest State in India by area and the 6th most populous State. In Agriculture front, the State Government has set on to usher in Second Green Revolution for doubling the crop production and tripling the farmers’ income and formulated policies and innovative steps to achieve equitable, 1 competitive and sustainable growth in agriculture. To increase their income and to provide “Food Security”, the Government initiated various measures especially in planning to prepare road maps through “Tamil Nadu Vision 2023”, Food Grain Mission, District Agricultural Plan, State Agricultural Plan and Agricultural Infrastructure Development Programme under RKVY and District and State Irrigation Plan under PMKSY etc. Such initiatives helped in drawing implementable action plans, convergence of efforts and focus the constraints in a better tactical and strategic level. Genesis of Agriculture Department Based on the recommendations of the Indian Famine Commission, 1880, the Department of Agriculture was established in 1882. The Directorate of Agriculture was carved out as an independent unit with Director of Agriculture and necessary supporting staff in 1904. The Agricultural College, which was under 2 the control of Directorate of Public Instructions, was annexed to the Department of Agriculture in 1905 and presently functioning as Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Several changes took place in its organizational setup owing to bifurcation of the State, Districts and Taluks. Agriculture Scenario of Tamil Nadu The total geographical area of Tamil Nadu is 130.33 Lakh Ha which constitutes 4 percent of the National geographical area and falls in Semi and Dry sub humid climate. Tamil Nadu is the State with 6 percent of the Nation’s population (2011 Census). As per the 2012-13 survey of NSSO, the estimated number of Agricultural House holds in Tamil Nadu is 32.44 Lakh numbers (Source: Agriculture Statistics of GOI 2018). According to the 10th Agriculture Census, 2015-16, the number of operational land holders in the State is 79.38 Lakh, operating culturable land of 59.73 Lakh Hectare. Small (2 Ha) and Marginal (1 Ha) land holders account for 93% of the total land holdings operating 62% of the total 3 culturable land. The remaining 38% of the total land holdings are occupied by 7% of semi medium, medium and large farmers. The average size of the land holding in the State is 0.75 hectare which is less than the average size of land holding of the country (1.08 Hectare). The Tamil Nadu land use pattern as per the latest statistical report (2018-19) is given below: Table 1.1: Land Use Pattern in Tamil Nadu 2018-19 (Provisional) % with Area reference to S. Details (Lakh total No Ha) Geographical area 1 Forest 21.57 16.55 2 Net Cropped Area (*) 45.82 35.16 3 Area under Misc. Tree crops 2.26 1.73 4 Permanent Pastures 1.08 0.83 5 Current fallow 10.47 8.03 6 Other fallows 19.30 14.81 7 Culturable Waste 3.23 2.48 8 Land put to non agricultural use 22.02 16.90 9 Barren and Unculturable land 4.58 3.51 Total Geographical Area 130.33 100.00 Cropping Intensity (%) 124 (*) Difference between Gross Cropped Area (56.72 Lakh Hectare) and Area sown more than once (10.90 Lakh Hectare) Source: Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Tamil Nadu 4 Trend in Land use pattern: The Total geographical area of the State is 130.33 Lakh Ha. The Barren and unculturable land area which was around 7.05 Lakh Ha in 70’s has come down to 4.58 Lakh Ha in 2018-19. Thus, there was a reduction of about 2.47 Lakh Ha of cultivable land in 4-5 decades. The area under culturable waste which was 4.17 Lakh Ha in 70’s, also came down to 3.23 Lakh Ha in 2018-19. Other fallow lands, have shown an alarming uptrend. While it was 5.31 Lakh Ha in 70’s, it was almost 19.30 Lakh Ha in 2018-19. The area under current fallows which was 16.18 Lakh Ha during 80’s has been reduced to 10.47 Lakh Ha during 2018-19. This was due to judicious use of water and adoption of water saving technology like Micro Irrigation to bring more area under irrigation. Further reduction of current fallows is quite possible by the modernization of irrigation systems and adoption of water harvesting 5 techniques, in addition to other moisture conservation measures combined with Micro Irrigation. The net sown area has reduced considerably from 61.36 Lakh Ha in 70’s to 45.82 Lakh Ha in 2018-19. This might be due to marked increase in lands put to non-agricultural uses, due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. However, double or triple cropping is being taken up in the existing area through revamping of the existing irrigation systems and judicious use of irrigation water including promotion of Micro irrigation. The cropping intensity for the State as a whole had shown marginal increase from 121.53 per cent in 70’s to 124 per cent in 2018-19. Tamil Nadu with 6 per cent of population in the country is endowed with only 3 per cent of the water resources of India. The State’s water resources are dependent on rainfall and release of water from neighbouring State. The per capita 6 availability of water in the State stood at 900 cubic meters only as against the all India level of 2200 cubic meters. Hence, the Government focuses on creating more number of water harvesting structures and emphasizing the need for utmost efficiency in water utilization through massive promotion of Micro Irrigation and water conservation technologies viz., Direct sowing, System of Rice Intensification, System of Pulses Intensification, machine planting, Summer ploughing etc. Rainfall The State's average annual rainfall is around 947.4 mm which is less than the National average rainfall of 1,200 mm. The quantum of rainfall received during Winter (January- February), Summer (March - May), South - West Monsoon (June – September) and North - East Monsoon (October - December) is 3%, 14%, 36% and 47%, respectively. The 7 amount and distribution of rainfall influence the cropping pattern and crop growth in a locality. The agricultural production mainly depends on the timely onset of South-West and North-East monsoons and spatial & temporal distribution of such rainfall across the months. Relatively a higher amount of rainfall is received during the months of September, October, November and December. Nevertheless, marked variations were observed between the normal (947.4 mm) and the actual rainfall received [Minimum 545.1 mm (2016); Maximum 1313.5 mm (2008)]. Irrigation Potential The total water potential of the State including groundwater is 46,540 Million Cubic Meter (MCM). The total surface water potential of the State is 24,864 MCM, (source: http:// tnenvis.nic.in/Database/TN-ENVIS_791.aspx) including the contribution from neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. 8 Ground water is, the only alternative source available for further Agriculture development. However, the recent developments in the status of availability of ground water across the regions are of great concern. The ground water availability is found to be in safe condition only in 429 firkas (38 per cent) of Tamil Nadu State. Sources of Irrigation: The details of net area irrigated using various sources of irrigation across the State (2017-18) are as follows: Table 1.2: Water Source wise Net Area Irrigated 2018-19 (Provisional) Net Area % with Availability Irrigated reference to Source (Nos) (Lakh Net Area Ha.) Irrigated Canals 2,248 6.36 24.80 Tanks 41,124 3.22 12.55 Wells and Bore wells 18,69,660 16.03 62.49 Others 133 0.04 0.16 Total 25.65 100.00 Source: Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Tamil Nadu 9 The area irrigated by wells and borewells accounted for 62% followed by Canals (25%) and Tanks (13%). Trend in source of Irrigation: The percentage of canal area irrigated has come down from 34% in 1970-71 to 24.80% in 2018-19. Similarly, the percentage of area irrigated by tanks declined from 35% in 1970-71 to 12.55% in 2018-19. On the contrary, wells have shown a constant rise from 30% in 1970-71 to 62.49% in 2018-19. The other sources of irrigation had shown a constant declining trend. The percentage of net area irrigated to net area sown had shown an upward trend with a fall in 1990-91 and 2005-06. The same phenomenon was observed in the case of gross area irrigated to total gross cropped area. The percentage of gross area-irrigated to total gross 10 area sown was 46.20 percent and 56.12 percent respectively during 1970-71 and 2018-19.