The news that hundreds or thousands of farmers have not yet received the support price promised to them by the government is a sad tale of neglect and apathy. The support price is a subsidy set by the government, but when promises are made to give the subsidy back to the farmer the government needs to live by that.
While many farmers have received the support prices, others haven’t. In a low paying industry like farming, where farmers often have to live from crop to crop, not paying out the subsidy on time leads to a financial problem for farmers. The department claims that there is a shortage of staff, which is why many of the applicants have not received their support price. But there cannot be a backlog of two years on money to be paid out. Another excuse is a lack of funds, but here again the government needs to prioritise and manage money better.
Many farmers in Goa are walking away from the trade due to many issues, a lack of proper market support, labour availability and more. When the government falters in its promise to pay out subsidies, it’s only another reason for the agricultural industry to suffer.
