MAPUSA
After facing problems of shortage of agricultural labourers and at times menace of wild animals, the farming community is now saddled with a new worry “ an increase in the cost of hiring charges of harvester machines due to a hike in fuel cost.
The hourly rental of these machines has suddenly skyrocketed and is burning a hole in the farmers’ pockets.
The farmers in Bardez are a worried lot but are forced to hire these machines as their crops are ready for harvest.
President of the Farmers Club of Nachinola Vithal Naik informed that although the State government has initiated various schemes and subsidies for the farming community on paper, ground realities were extremely difficult.
“Though claims for the subsidy can be claimed later, the charges for hiring these harvesting machines are at unreasonable rates decided by the providers of these machines which have been hiked beyond the expectation of the farmers,” Naik said.
The Farmers Club of Nachinola chief was addressing the media after handing over a memorandum to Zonal Agriculture Officer Samphatthi Dhargalkar.
Speaking further, Naik requested the government to fix a standard rate so that these harvesting machine providers do not overcharge beyond the government-recommended rates.
“These harvesting machines when hired should be efficient, cost-effective and reasonable to encourage farmers to make use of modern technology thereby saving on labour, time and money,” he said.
While the hire charges of the harvester machines have remained steady in the past, it has suddenly escalated this year. According to farmers, there is no proper control mechanism for the rates.
The normal per-hour rental rate of the harvester machine which stood at Rs 2,400 during the previous seasons has gone up suddenly to Rs 2,800 this year.
“Since diesel prices have gone up, the owners of the harvesters have hiked their rate this year. While the normal rate is Rs 2,800 per hour, 50 per cent of the amount is reimbursed to the farmer in the form of a subsidy by the government. So effectively, the farmer has to pay Rs 1,400 per hour,” said Satish Kerkar, Mechanical Cultivation Officer in Mapusa.
“We have received complaints from several farmers across Bardez and even other places in the State about the increase in rates of the machines. We have spoken to the farmers about the nitty-gritties and they are now convinced,” he added.
The Farmers Club of Nachinola president also appealed that instead of asking for ownership documents of the farmland, the government should implement the earlier method of submitting a simple undertaking.
“Most of the farmlands are cultivated by landless tillers and not by owners, and most areas are let out on verbal understanding due to hostile land laws. In such circumstances, the tillers have neither access to land documents nor do the owners part away with them,” Naik said.
