VASCO: Taking serious cognizance of the fact that the traditional farmers from the village are gradually giving up agriculture, the Cortalim Panchayat has decided to extend all possible help to the farmers in the village. 

An action plan drawn by the panchayat has three major elements. First, to distribute high-yielding varieties of seeds to the farmers free of cost; second, to purchase excess yield of rice at the rate of Rs 23 per kilograms and third, to provide government schemes to the famers with follow up.

“Some years ago, we had over 250 famers in our village and year by year these traditional farmers are slowly giving up farming and choosing other work opportunities which provide certainty in job as well as finance. Our mission is to help the farming community of our village and that is why we have decided to provide all necessary help to them because agriculture is the noblest profession, but it is on decline,” said Raymond De Sa, Cortalim deputy sarpanch.

He was speaking on the sidelines of free sowing paddy (high-yielding varieties of rice seeds) distribution function held at Cortalim panchayat office on Thursday. 

Each farmer present was given 15 kgs of high-yielding varieties of seeds by Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha.