PMK unveils shadow agriculture budget with higher allocation proposals
PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday released the party’s shadow agriculture budget for the 2026-27 financial year, proposing significantly higher spending on agriculture and irrigation.
The party recommended an allocation of ₹93,000 crore for the agriculture and irrigation sectors, including ₹68,000 crore for agriculture and ₹25,000 crore for irrigation projects. It also reiterated that nearly one-fourth of the state’s annual budget, amounting to around ₹1.5 lakh crore, should eventually be earmarked for agriculture and allied sectors.
Among the key proposals are ₹13,000 crore towards farm input subsidies, ₹25,000 crore for agricultural infrastructure, education and research, and ₹30,000 crore for crop insurance and farmer welfare measures.
The shadow budget also proposes a special subsidy of ₹5,000 per acre for kuruvai cultivation and an input subsidy of ₹12,000 per acre, subject to a maximum of three acres.
PMK has additionally proposed waiving cooperative bank crop loans and repaying outstanding loans of up to ₹1 lakh taken by small and marginal farmers from public sector banks.
The party has suggested increasing the procurement price of paddy to ₹3,500 per quintal and sugarcane to ₹5,000 per tonne. Other recommendations include compulsory government procurement through legislation, establishment of 6,000 direct procurement centres, creation of a dedicated procurement board, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, completion of river-linking projects and measures to prevent construction of the proposed Mekedatu dam.