Tamil Nadu posts marginally higher coverage of foodgrains in 2024-25 over 2023-24

Tamil Nadu's foodgrain coverage increased marginally in 2024-25, falling short of the target due to crop damage.

During the just-concluded financial year of 2024-25, Tamil Nadu recorded a marginally higher coverage of foodgrains when compared to the previous year.

Its achievement in 2024-25 was about 38.6 lakh hectares as against 37.98 lakh hectares in 2023-24. However, it fell short of the target of 40.15 lakh hectares by about 1.5 lakh hectares.

In the assessment of the government, the performance in 2024-25 would have exceeded the target, had there not been crop damage to the extent the State had experienced. However, 9.1 lakh acres, or 3.68 lakh hectares, had suffered crop damage due to events such as Cyclone Fengal in November-December 2024 and unseasonal heavy rain in January 2025. As a result, the government had sanctioned about ₹546 crore in the form of input subsidy to 6.16 lakh farmers under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

For 2025-26, the government has fixed targets totalling 40.3 lakh hectares, of which paddy’s share is 20.3 lakh hectares; and millets and pulses 10 lakh hectares each.

Of the three cultivation seasons in the State [Kar /Kuruvai/Sornavari (KKS), Samba/Thaladi/Pishanam (STP), and Navarai/Kodai (NK)], STP has the lion’s share in terms of coverage at 67%, followed by KKS (18%) and NK (15%). As for the two broad geographical regions in the State, the Cauvery delta’s share is about 32% with regard to the coverage.

As for the production of foodgrains, the figures are not out yet, but the government expects an increase in 2024-25 over the immediate preceding year, despite the adverse weather events. In the three years since 2021, the State produced 119.97 lakh tonnes in 2021-22; 116.91 lakh tonnes in 2022-23; and 109.51 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.

The target fixed for 2024-25 was 129.6 lakh tonnes, a figure the State might not achieve. For 2025-26, the production target is around 130 lakh tonnes.