Special Agriculture Zone

WHY IN NEWS?

In a significant decision, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced Cauvery delta region comprising of eight districts as Protected Special Agriculture Zone to prevent implementation of oil exploration projects in the state’s rice bowl.

ABOUT SPECIAL AGRICULTURE ZONE

• Cauvery delta is the rice bowl of the state and the region also accounts for the production of various pulses, vegetables and fruits during the off-season.
• Protected Agricultural Zone aims to safeguard this region from practices and projects that are exploitative to the farmers in that region as well as to provide a fillip to cultivation and farm-based activities.
• It means that apart from agriculture and activities related to cultivation, the region is closed for other activities, including the proposed hydrocarbon projects.
• It must be noted that one of the main concerns that the farmers have been raising is that the hydrocarbon exploration will dry the land out and leave it barren forever, thus, in turn, impacting their livelihood.
• Legislation and/or guidelines will be rolled out to give effect to the provisions.
• Incidentally, the Kerala government introduced a similar measure — the Special Agricultural Zone (SAZ) — in 2017-2018.
• This designates the agricultural land exclusively for agricultural purpose.
• Regions such as Kuttanad, Palakkad, Wayanad, Thrissur and Kozhikode were designated as SAZ for various crops.
• The facilities in each SAZ are Agro Service Centres including soil testing labs and call centre, plant health clinics, weather stations and advisories, biopharmacy including on farm production units, planting materials production units, markets , processing and value addition units, irrigation support, credit interventions if required, extension including ICT based initiatives, community Radio, farmers markets supported by LSGIs, procurement system for surplus production, promotion of farmer technology development and training to farmers on convergence mode.

Prelims Question

Q. Which of the following areas have been recently declared as a Protected Special Agricultural Zone (PSAZ)?
a. Godavari delta
b. Upper Gangetic plains
c. Sunderbans
d. Cauvery delta

Answer to the Prelims Question