THE GOAN NETWORK
SANGUEM
Arecanut farmers in Sanguem have complained of heavy losses due to premature falling of arecanuts due to continuous rains this season and have appealed to the State government to consider compensating them for their losses.
They claimed that about 50 per cent of arecanuts had been lost due to heavy rains.
Arecanut is a major crop in Sanguem region after sugarcane and is widely cultivated in the villages of Bhati, Rivona, Wadem, Neturlim and Villian.
The farmers informed that given the continuous rains in July and August, the arecanuts were getting rotten and would prematurely fall down.
“Incessant rains have caused huge losses to us to the extent and almost 50 percent of arecanuts have fallen prematurely and they have no value,” lamented Amit Dabholkar, a farmer from Cotarli-Sanguem.
Dabholkar informed that in the absence of any subsidy towards these uncertain losses, the farmers are staring at huge losses during the current season and have appealed to the State government to consider compensating them for their losses during the current season.
Harshad Prabhudessai from Netravali, a prime cultivator of arecanut in Sanguem, informed that the government should work out modalities to pay compensation.
“In the absence of any modalities to pay compensation, the future of agriculture production in the State is bleak as farmers with minimal income will find it hard to survive during difficult times,” he said.
