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The State’s average agricultural growth, which stood at 1.36% between 2012-13 and 2020-21, has achieved a record average of 5.66% from 2021 to 2024, the Tamil Nadu government said on Sunday (May 18, 2025). The area under irrigation in the State, which was 36.07 lakh hectares in 2020-21, increased to 38.33 lakh hectares in 2023-24, resulting in a remarkable increase in food production, it said.

In an official release, the State government listed out the steps being undertaken for giving impetus given to the agriculture, dairy development, fisheries sectors. Through five separate agriculture budgets, a total allocation of ₹1,94,076 crore has been made to the sector. It said it has introduced and implemented several new programmes to boost agricultural production and enhance the welfare of the farming community.

Tamil Nadu ranked first in India in the productivity of finger millet (ragi) and guava and held the second position in the country in the productivity of maize, sugarcane, tamarind, tapioca, jasmine, and oilseeds. Under the Kalaignar All Village Integrated Agricultural Development Scheme, 47,286 acres of fallow land have been brought under cultivation in 10,187 village panchayats at a cost of ₹786.86 crore.

Under the Agricultural Mechanisation scheme, agricultural machinery and implements worth ₹499.45 crore were distributed to 62,820 farmers with subsidy, it said. A total of 1,652 new farm machineries have been procured and, through e-hiring (e-vaadagai) mobile service, about 69,000 farmers have been benefited, it said. Over 900 tanks across 27 districts were renovated at a cost of ₹1,212 crore.

To benefit small and marginal farmers and to increase agricultural production, 814 minor irrigation tanks were renovated at a cost of ₹75.59 crore. Over 88 check dams have been constructed in 24 districts at a cost of ₹519 crore, helping maintain groundwater levels.

Milk production was 8,362 metric tonnes in 2018-19 during the previous administration but due to the initiatives of the DMK government, it has been raised it to 10,808 metric tonnes in 2023-24, it said. The annual egg production has risen from ₹1,884.22 crore in 2018–2019 to ₹2,233.25 crore in 2023–24.

In the fisheries sector, the State government has established 72 new fish landing centres at a cost of ₹1,428 crore. The CM has also implemented several schemes to develop fisheries in areas such as Tharangambadi, Rameswaram, and Thiruvotriyur Kuppam, it said.