There is no excuse for farmers to complain that agricultural activity is not viable nowadays with government providing subsidies for modern machineries.
The equipments, like power tillers, tractors, weeders, brush cutters, transplanters and harvesters, have reduced the agricultural activity to almost one-man show reducing the cost by almost 50 per cent. And with the help of one or two family members, paddy fields could blossom and come under cultivation. However, lack of enthusiasm in the younger generation has left more than 50% of the 22,000 hectares in Ponda taluka fallow. The farmers cite the same old excuse that agriculture is costly and labourers are not easily available.
Although the cost factor has diminished, sources say that many difficulties faced by farmers need to be checked with on-the-spot inspections. The breach of bandaras is a major problem due to which saline and fresh rain water enters into field.
Sources say that farmers have to be persuaded to cultivate the land or else the barren land will be encroached and used for house construction.
While the government officials claimed that 60 per cent land is under cultivation, it was discovered that more than 60 per cent paddy fields are not cultivated. The farmers claim that the government schemes are only on paper and only for those who can afford buy the machineries. Hence the farmers say that government should provide this machinery free of cost to villagers so that every farmer can avail of these schemes.
Besides, the breach of bandaras and entry of saline water is another major issue. The bandaras have not been repaired for several decades leading to the growth of thousands of mangroove trees destroying fields in Wadi Talavlim Panchayat, Durbhat Agapur Panchayat. The affected farmers feel that repairing bandaras has to be done first. This is one of the main reasons why paddy cultivation and agricultural land is on verge of extinction.
Actually mangrove trees protect sand erosion and prevent high water waves destroying the coast. However, these trees have encroached the khazan lands.
Some of the farmers claim that the government schemes never reach the rural areas. They say that the inspectors should visit the farmers and explain the schemes to them. Some farmers complain of the stray cattle which destroy their cultivation in the absence of a proper fence.
According to Nagesh Komarpanth, Zonal Agricultural Officer at Ponda, more awareness and encouragement is required to bring 100% land under cultivation. Initially the cost of paddy cultivation would be around Rs 50,000 but with the modern machinery the cost has come down drastically. Now only 40% of the cultivable land is fallow.
Government provides a transplanter and other machinery with a 50% subsidy, he said and informed that group farming is also encouraged.
Sudesh Gaude, a farmer, said that “vast tracts of agriculture land from Durbhat to Agapur are encroached by mangroove trees. “More than 300 farmers have left their land fallow due to several difficulties like breach of bandaras, cost of labour, etc. The saline water has helped the growth of mangroove trees which have spread on the agricultural land at Durbhat and Agapur.
Another farmer, Ramnath Gaude from Agapur, said that he has never seen an agricultural officer visiting their paddy field to know their difficulties. “I am cultivating my field for the past many years and I face the problem of the saline water flooding my field due to the breach in the bandaras.
