Chennai, November 18, 2025 – With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile visit to Coimbatore looming tomorrow, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has ramped up demands for three critical aids to rescue the state's beleaguered mango farmers, battered by global trade disruptions and erratic weather. The plea arrives as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warns of escalating heavy rains across Tamil Nadu starting November 22, potentially reviving the northeast monsoon but risking further havoc for rain-sensitive crops.
#### Farmer Distress Call: Stalin's Three-Pronged Appeal to Centre for Mango Sector Lifeline
Stalin's letter to Modi, dispatched today, underscores the dire straits of Tamil Nadu's mango growers—particularly in the Pollachi and Krishnagiri belts—whose exports have plummeted 40% due to the Iran-Israel conflict disrupting Middle East shipments and spiking logistics costs. The CM's demands, framed as "urgent interventions for sustainable agriculture," align strategically with Modi's itinerary: inaugurating the South India Natural Farming Summit at CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex, where over 5,000 farmers and experts will converge on eco-friendly practices.
The trio of requests includes:
1. Central Procurement at Fair Prices: Direct NAFED and NCCF to buy surplus mangoes at a minimum support price of ₹30 per kg, preventing distress sales amid a domestic glut.
2. Enhanced Crop Insurance Coverage**: Immediate release of ₹500 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to cover conflict-induced losses, with simplified claims for smallholders.
3. Subsidized Export Incentives: A one-time ₹200 crore package for cold-chain infrastructure and air-freight subsidies to reroute produce to alternative markets like Southeast Asia.
"We cannot let geopolitical fires abroad scorch our farmers' dreams at home," Stalin stated in the missive, urging Modi to announce the aids during his summit address. The timing is poignant: Coimbatore, the mango heartland's gateway, has seen over 10,000 growers protest low yields from last year's droughts, now compounded by export bans. Security has been beefed up with 3,000 personnel for the PM's visit, amid DMK's push to spotlight these issues on a national stage.
Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam echoed the urgency, noting that Tamil Nadu contributes 20% of India's mango output but faces a ₹1,200 crore revenue hit this season. Opposition AIADMK dismissed the demands as "election gimmicks," but farmer unions like the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam hailed them as "a much-needed monsoon of relief."
#### Weather Woes Loom: IMD Predicts Heavy to Very Heavy Rains from November 22, Low-Pressure Looms
Compounding agrarian anxieties, the IMD has issued a yellow-to-orange alert for Tamil Nadu, forecasting light to moderate showers through November 21, intensifying to isolated heavy to very heavy falls from November 22 as a new low-pressure area brews over the southeast Bay of Bengal. The system, expected off Sri Lanka's coast, could mimic last week's deluge, with Chennai and coastal districts like Chengalpattu bracing for 100-150 mm daily totals by week's end.
"Eight southern districts—Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, and Nagapattinam—face immediate heavy rain risks today, escalating regionally from November 22," IMD's Chennai bulletin cautioned, advising fishermen to steer clear of the Gulf of Mannar due to 50-60 kmph winds. Thunderstorms with lightning are likely till November 21, potentially triggering localized flooding in low-lying Chennai suburbs already reeling from recent downpours.
The forecast spells double trouble for mango farmers: Excess rain could rot unharvested fruits and spread fungal diseases, while aiding reservoirs like those feeding the Vaigai basin. Relief Commissioner J. Ralph Allen has activated 200 pumps and NDRF teams in vulnerable zones, with schools in eight districts already shuttered today. "This monsoon revival is a blessing for parched fields but a curse for perishable crops—farmers need both weather shields and policy lifelines," said K. Suresh, a Pollachi grower.
As Modi lands in Coimbatore amid tightened security, Stalin's outreach blends diplomacy with desperation, hoping the summit spotlights Tamil Nadu's verdant pleas against a stormy backdrop. With rains set to lash harder post-visit, the coming days could test the Centre's response speed.
Compiled from official communiqués, IMD advisories, and field reports. Weather updates to follow.
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