Thu Mar 06 14:16:50 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu Farmers Demand Better Crop Insurance and Wild Boar Control in Upcoming Budget
**TIRUNELVELI, March 6, 2025** – Tamil Nadu farmers from 12 southern districts voiced their concerns and suggestions for the upcoming state agriculture budget at a meeting held in Palayamkottai on Thursday. The meeting, organized by the state government, aimed to gather input directly from farmers to ensure the budget addresses their key needs.
Farmers emphasized the need for improvements in water management, timely access to quality agro-inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and farm equipment), and a more streamlined and uniform crop insurance system. They called for a single, government-designated public sector insurance firm to handle crop insurance to minimize delays in benefit disbursement. Additionally, farmers requested increased crop loan amounts to reflect current inflation and the establishment of fixed procurement prices for all crops. They also advocated for the establishment of direct procurement centers for paddy in every cultivating village and cold storage facilities for fruits, vegetables, and flowers to ensure fair prices.
Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, who attended the meeting, stated that the government aims to double the area of cultivation and highlighted achievements such as desilting irrigation channels and the distribution of 1.5 lakh free power connections to farmers. He acknowledged the farmers’ concerns regarding crop damage caused by wild boars and promised to convey their request for a modification to the existing guidelines for dealing with wild boar incursions to the Chief Minister.
The meeting was attended by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, MLAs from the southern districts, and senior agriculture department officials. The collected suggestions will be submitted to the Chief Minister for consideration within the constraints of available funding.
First Piper 