OLD GOA
Encouraged by a good yield of rice last year, the farmers of Dongori-Neura have begun the process of tilling their fields from Sunday.
The initiative of cultivating the fields has been taken by Prof Ramrao Wagh and Don Bosco College Principal of Sulcorna Dr Suresh Kuncolikar.
Speaking to The Goan, Prof Wagh informed that the initiative was started in 2020 with a total of 10 fields being taken up for cultivation, which were left uncultivated for around 25 years.
“Due to breach in the Dhamda khazan bundhs, the fields are inundated with saline water due to which we used the Dhan I and Dhan II variety provided by the Zonal Agriculture Office, Ela-Old Goa. These types of varieties are suitable for fields which remain inundated with saline water,” Wagh informed.
“There was a good yield last year and encouraged by the success, we have decided to continue the initiative this year as well,” Wagh stated.
However, he said that they had to hire services of a private power tiller, which proves to be quite expensive.
“Last year, around five of us had got together and borne the expenses of the power tiller,” Wagh further said, while they are yet to receive a subsidy for the same.
“There is a lot of paperwork which needs to be done for availing the subsidy, which is a lengthy process, and we are hopeful that the farmers will get the subsidy this year at least,” he stated.
Wagh further demanded that the Agriculture Department should provide cage wheel tractors for tilling the khazan fields as normal tractors get stuck in the soft soil.
At the ‘Farmers Mela’ held earlier this year I had highlighted about the same, but such a tractor is not available with the Agriculture Department due to which farmers owning khazan fields are forced to hire the costly power tillers.
