A drone pilot training programme for women has been announced under the state’s ‘Vetri Vanmagal’ initiative. The move is positioned as part of a broader set of measures aimed at strengthening agriculture and allied activities.
Among the key proposals is the reclamation of 12,500 acres of fallow land at a cost of Rs 17.70 crore, with a plan to plant 200 saplings per acre. Economically valuable tree saplings such as teak, mahogany, sandalwood, malai vembu and red sanders are to be produced and distributed to farmers free of cost.
To improve yields, certified seeds are to be produced in large quantities—43,400 tonnes at an outlay of Rs 250 crore—covering paddy, millets, pulses, oilseeds and cotton. These seeds are to be procured through the Tamil Nadu Seed Development Agency and supplied to 10 lakh farmers at subsidised rates.
The package also includes support for crop protection and farm infrastructure. This includes a subsidy to distribute a liquid wild boar repellent developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, solar-powered electric fencing for 134 farmers to protect crops from wild animals, and tarpaulins for 43,500 farmers to safeguard produce from rain and aid drying.
In addition, eight new agriculture extension centres with 300-tonne storage capacity are planned in select blocks with combined central and state funding of Rs 27.82 crore. Proposals also cover an agriculture exhibition, seed processing units in Salem, Thoothukudi and Villupuram districts, and a seed sugarcane subsidy scheme for farmers linked to cooperative and public sector sugar mills.
