From correspondents in India, 09:33 PM IST

Tamil Nadu will produce 10.8 million tonnes of foodgrain in 2008-09, Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam said here Thursday.

The minister also told a gathering at the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University that the government would encourage 'mechanisation of farms' to overcome the shortage of farm labour.

He said the government had decided to bring new farm technologies from Japan, China and Taiwan. The government will adopt Chinese technology for developing a sugarcane harvester.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)