Team Herald
PANJIM: The Agriculture Department has begun disbursing compensation to farmers, whose crops were damaged last season due to floods and incessant rains.
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Agriculture Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar said that 1,410 farmers from North Goa and 1,276 farmers from South Goa are entitled for the compensation under Shetkari Aadhar Nidhi, and Rs 1.44 crore has been disbursed till February 21. The total crop loss amount is estimated at Rs 3.54 crore.
The government has already disbursed Rs 90 lakh to banana crop affected farmers and compensation to paddy and other affected farmers is in the process of disbursal.
Last year, backed by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the farmers had appealed to the government to grant financial relief package to the affected. Initially, the paddy cultivation suffered at the sowing time due to delayed monsoon, and later due to heavy downpour leading to floods and soil erosion. Vegetable and other crops were also damaged due to heavy rains.
