CANACONA
The Atmabirbhar Shetkari Society of Canacona has demanded an increase in rates for locally grown produce by farmers.
Addressing a news conference in Canacona, youth farmer Amey Puranik said they had been demanding higher rates for locally grown vegetables since the last eight years, but merely received assurances from different agriculture ministers and directors of Agriculture.
“During these years, three chief ministers, three agriculture ministers and three agriculture directors have been changed, but none of them took any concrete decision to help Goan farmers to tide over the increasing production costs,” said Puranik.
Another farmer Ganesh Gaonkar from Gulem called for unity among farmers in the State and said they would stand to gain only if all farmers remained together.
“No farmer in Canacona got a support price of Rs 25 for cashew as was assured the last season. The government should give a respectable rate for raw cashew nuts at a minimum of Rs 160 per kg.”
“Last year, an initial amount of Rs 180 per kg was given and as the season progressed, it was reduced to Rs 160, then Rs 105 and with the subsidy, the rate was finally increased to Rs 136 at the end of the cashew season.”
“While rates for raw cashew nuts are going low, the rates of processed cashew nuts which were earlier sold at Rs 1,600 per kg was increased to Rs 2,400. Besides, we also demand a hike in rice from the present Rs 20 to Rs 30, including the suitable support price.”
“Our expenses have been doubled over the years, we have expenditures of about Rs 20,000 to Rs 21,000 to cultivate about 2,000 square metres of paddy fields, but the yields fetches us only about Rs 12,000-Rs14,000,” added Gaonkar.
State awardee and local farmer, Prasad Velip, claimed that production costs in Goa were over double than the produce grown in Belagavi.
“Goan vegetables are fresh, have better quality and without the use of much pesticides, but are picked up by the government at very low rates. From the present rates of Rs 21-23 a kg, the government need to give a respectable rate of Rs 48-50 a kg for most of the locally grown veggies like bhendi, chillies, beans,” said Velip.
