Chennai, Feb. 16 -- Tamil Nadu must give immediate attention to several key areas in the agricultural sector for sustainable growth and resilience, notes the state's economic survey for 2025-26.
According to the survey, the net sown area has declined by approximately 2 lakh hectares since 2001-02, accompanied by a rise in fallows indicating underutilized cultivable land and the need for policies to reclaim and optimize fallow lands.
Decline in surface irrigation sources, such as canals and tanks, alongside stagnancy in net irrigated area, highlights the urgent need to rehabilitate traditional water infrastructure while simultaneously promoting efficient groundwater management as wells now dominate net irrigated area, the survey said.
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