Kavlekar to probe rejected ‘oversized’ cucumbers of Sanguem cultivators

“I have directed the Zonal Agriculture Officer concerned to visit the site and verify the claims made by the farmers and to submit a report to my office for further action,” said Kavlekar, while speaking to reporters.

“If the demands raised by the farmers are genuine, I will get the matter resolved by the corporation and also reimburse the farmers for their losses.”

Aggrieved farmers in Sanguem claimed that freshly plucked cucumbers weighing over 110 gms had been rejected by the lone GSHC run procurement centre in Netravali village.

Officials at the procurement centre are reported to have said the farmers had been informed that cucumbers large in size and weighing over 110 grams would not be accepted at the centre.

Officials at the collection point claim that oversized cucumbers do not have demand, which is why the corporation had stopped buying cucumbers weighing over 110 grams.

Claiming that this “rejection policy” amounted to harassment, the farmers have appealed to the State government to work out modalities to support them on account of these losses.

“How are we to know which cucumber will weigh over 110 grams? It is only when we come to the centre with our produce that we find almost 15-20 per cent of it is rejected as they are found to be oversized,” complained a farmer.

“We are already suffering huge losses in the production of cucumbers and this new rejection policy has added to our misery,” the farmer added.

Another farmer, Manoj Gaonkar of Vichundrem claimed the corporation should be farmer-friendly and compensate them for their rejected produce.

“The corporation should work out modalities to help farmers or else, farmers may soon stop cultivating cucumbers,” said Gaonkar.

Claiming that the rejected lot of cucumbers have been wasted and had caused them heavy losses, the farmers said a meagre sum of Rs 21 per kg of cucumbers is simply insufficient to defray the costs of cultivating cucumbers.