FM asks farmers to use new technology, seeds

He said as 52 per cent of land in the state was rain-fed area, the research institute would play a major role in converting the farming a profitable one and also increase the food production.

"This is the institute that will meet our need, meet the need of the land."     

The rain-fed land cultivation had so far been giving only very poor income, the institute would change that colour and make it a profitable one, he said.     

Chidambaram said that the government would give Rs 3 lakh crore as agriculture loan in the country, besides the farm loans to the tune of Rs 71,000 crore were being written off.     

The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 40 crore for crop insurance scheme.

All this would enable the farmers to take up farming operations with confidence, he said.     

The Central government had allocated Rs 50 crore for the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, he said, adding "I am happy the university is setting up a research institute here. The institute is being set up on 317 acres of land".