MARGAO: Stating that it was time to declare the wild boar as vermin, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardessai has said the sugarcane farmers in Goa need to be applauded and promised the sugar factory is in for a major overhaul after MP Narendra Sawaikar praised bringing the factory under the Agriculture Department.

“The sugar factory relates to farmers and hence it is right that it should come under the agriculture department instead of the co-operative sector where it was all this time” Sawaikar said.

Speaking to media persons, Sardessai said the department proposes to tap the Rashtriya Krishi Yojana to fund the replacement of the sugar factory machinery which he said was purchased second hand when the factory had started and has deteriorated after all these years.

He said the Centre has a scheme to fund such projects with an interest of only 7 per cent and the agriculture department would explore using this scheme to get funds to revive the factory. He also disclosed plans to use the nearly 40,000 sq mts of land lying unused next to the sugar factory.

Pointing out the soil condition in Goa is not very conducive for sugarcane plantation as it is laterite in nature, he said sugarcane farmers need to be applauded for cultivating sugarcane in such adverse conditions.

“However, they face a lot of problems and worst of the problem faced by them is the attack by wild animals specially wild boar,” he said adding that it was high time the wild boar was declared a vermin to help farmers in Goa.