Agri director says 75 pc switched to other crops
PANAJI
Since the closure of the Sanjivani Co-operative Sugar Factory in 2021, the government has spent Rs 46.89 crore in ‘special financial assistance’ paid to over 600 sugarcane farmers. Additionally, 210 workers of the factory were paid honorarium totalling Rs 26.46 crore in the same period.
Agriculture Director, Sandeep Fol Dessai said on Saturday that 75 per cent of sugarcane farmers have switched to other crops since the factory’s closure.
Speaking to the media at a press conference at the Agriculture Department’s headquarters, Fol Dessai said several initiatives were adopted to safeguard the interests of the sugarcane farmers in these five years.
In 2021, when the Sanjivani Co-operative Sugar Factory was shut down, the government had set up a committee headed by former MP Narendra Sawaikar to insulate the farmers from the fallout.
The first meeting of this committee was attended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who assured that the farmers’ interests would be protected, Fol Dessai said, adding that the ‘Special Financial Assistance for Sugarcane Producers’ scheme was formulated and subsequently implemented for a period of five years.
“The quantum of assistance was fixed on the average production of farmers under the scheme during these five years,” he said, adding that between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the department has compensated more than 600 farmers for their losses worth Rs 46.89 crore.
Giving the breakup, Fol Dessai said, Rs 11.83 crore was paid to 734 farmers in 2020-21, Rs 10.28 crore to 690 farmers in 2021-22, Rs 8.86 crore for 669 farmers in 2022-23, Rs 8.33 crore to 682 farmers in 2023-24 and in 2024-25, 697 farmers were paid Rs 7.56 crore. “They were also permitted to send their sugarcane to the Khanapur Laila Sugar Factory from where they got additional money and the government did not impose any restrictions on it,” Fol Dessai said.
Meanwhile, the responsibility for revival of the factory rests on the Department of Agriculture but despite having publicised ‘Request for Qualification’ bids to set up a new sugar plant, no one showed interest, he said. “We will issue a revised RFQ request again,” Fol Dessai said.
