CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced a comprehensive special package worth `790.18 crore for farmers in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts, the worst affected in Cyclone Thane. While `65.22 crore has been allotted for agricultural crops, `724.96 crore will be givenfor horticultural crops.Around 1.10 lakh farmers will benefit from the package, which includes complete waiver of land tax, resheduling of farm loans to the tune of `440.11 crore and disbursal of fresh loans, setting up of a project management unit in Cuddalore to monitor the implementation of the package and declaration of Cuddalore and Villupuram as cyclone-hit districts.For annual agricultural crops, the package includes four types of kits: mini-kits containing 20 kg paddy seeds, two bags of biofertilisers and 500 ml pesticides required for 54,490 acres; mini-kits containing six kg hybrid maize seeds, two bags of biofertilisers for 6,250 acres; mini-kits containing eight kg pulse seeds and biofertilisers for 3,83,660 acres; and mini-kits with 80 kg of manila seeds, biofertilisers and pesticides required for 3,175 acres. The kits will cost `34.86 crore.For horticultural crops, mini-kits with high-yielding vegetable seeds, biofertilisers and pesticides will be provided in February. Also `16.03 crore has been allocated for coconut planters for removing trees uprooted in the cyclone, with 100 chainsaws provided without rent. Mini-kits for short-term crops will be given to farmers who have lost their coconut trees. As many as 3,20,600 coconut saplings worth `80 lakh will be given away. Also, `13.53 crore will be spent to provide urea and potash among others. At least 7,083 coconut growers will benefit this way. The CM said `27 crore will be earmarked for setting up deep borewells.
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