The paddy destroyed by unseasonal rains in Curtorim.
MARGAO
The weather gods have not been kind to farmers across the Salcete countryside this season. Preliminary assessments have revealed that unseasonal rains have devastated nearly 20 hectares of paddy fields — almost half of them in the Curtorim constituency, with the remaining losses spread across other villages in Salcete.
Now, these beleaguered farmers are pinning their hopes on the Goa government to show compassion by increasing the compensation offered for their damaged crops.
The current government compensation rate of Rs four per square metre for paddy loss appears grossly inadequate to offset the heavy financial blow. Many farmers have urged the authorities to revise the package to at least Rs 10 per square metre, which they say is essential to help them recover and sustain their agricultural activities.
Curtorim farmer Milagres Menezes said cultivators across Curtorim and nearby areas have suffered severe losses this year. He appealed to the government to review the compensation rates to make farming viable once again.
“With farming already on the decline, it is high time the government supports those who continue to keep their fields from turning fallow. A realistic compensation package would motivate farmers to continue cultivation. Otherwise, even the cultivated fields may lie abandoned for want of support,” Menezes said.
Echoing similar concerns, Jose D’Costa, chairman of the Adiband and Voddlem Khazan Tenants Association in Macazana, made a fervent plea for government assistance.
“Farmers here cultivated nearly three lakh square metres of paddy this season. Most of it now lies submerged under water after the heavy showers. We are looking to the government for help to tide over this crisis,” D’Costa said.
Agriculture service provider Moreno Rebello strongly backed the farmers’ demand, stating that the current compensation rate is insufficient. “The affected farmers are fully justified in demanding higher compensation. Rs four per square metre will not help them recover from these losses. Only a minimum of Rs 10 per square metre can help them come out of this crisis,” he said.
The affected cultivators include both those who could not harvest their paddy due to the rains and those who managed to harvest but suffered losses as the grains germinated for lack of drying.
Salcete Zonal Agriculture Officer Rajesh D’Costa confirmed that his team is assessing the full extent of the damage. “Preliminary assessments indicate that around 20 hectares of paddy have been destroyed in Salcete, with farmers in Curtorim suffering the brunt. Those in Nagoa-Verna and other areas have also been affected,” he said. “We’ve also come across cases where harvested paddy germinated due to the unseasonal rains, and we will include such farmers in the compensation process.”
