Agriculture is the weak spot of Tamil Nadu’s economy and has recorded negative growth in the last two years, 2023–24 and 2024–25.
This is based on the RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States.
Despite weak agricultural performance, the State’s economy has grown well due to the strong performance of the secondary and tertiary sectors.
Total food grain production (rice, pulses, and coarse cereals) ranged between 107 and 120 lakh tonnes.
The highest production was 119.98 lakh tonnes in 2021–22, after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lowest was 107 lakh tonnes in 2023–24.
Rice is the main food grain in the State, followed by coarse cereals, especially millets, while pulses contribute only a small share.
Production of rice and coarse cereals has remained largely stable over the years.
Pulse production is low at around 3.6 lakh tonnes, compared to 7.5 lakh tonnes in 2014–15.
Production of non-food crops such as cotton, sugarcane, and oilseeds has shown a declining trend.
Oilseed production was about 11.5 lakh tonnes 20 years ago and has not crossed that level since.
Cotton production declined to 2.1 lakh bales last year from 6.86 lakh bales in 2014–15.
Sugarcane production fell sharply to about 133.5 lakh tonnes, compared to 411 lakh tonnes in 2006–07.
Experts cite erratic monsoon conditions, market price fluctuations, lack of procurement for crops other than rice, and non-availability of new crop varieties as key reasons.
Experts suggest giving more importance to horticultural crops, especially in rain-fed areas, to improve farm sector performance.