Team Herald
PANJIM: The Agriculture Department has notified the State sector scheme titled “Assistance for Sugarcane Planting Material”.
The objective of the scheme is to create availability of quality seed material locally in Goa to replace old and low yielding sugarcane varieties for improvement and enhancement of sugarcane productivity.
To achieve this, the department plans to introduce new varieties of sugarcane by procuring the seed materials from various research centres and institutes as well as bringing additional area under sugarcane.
As per the policy, the sugarcane farmers willing to take up planting of sugarcane using seedling/seed sets shall apply to the Sanjivani Sugar Factory (SSF) along with their Krishi Cards that specifies the area to be planted, variety to be planted and quantity of seedlings/seed sets required.
The present cost of locally available sugarcane seed is Rs 4,000 per MT. The cost of sugarcane seed sets required for one hectare area will be Rs 30,000. There are also additional transportation costs involved.
The SSF representatives will inspect the proposed sugarcane fields, assess the quantity of sugarcane seedling/sets required and accordingly make the arrangements to supply the same either from their own farm or from registered seed growers.
The SSF shall also procure the seedling/seed sets from neighbouring States and supply to farmers in case there is shortage of local planting material or accord permission to farmers to procure the sugarcane seedling/sets from neighbouring States.
“The sugarcane seedlings/sets shall be supplied by the SSF by providing 50 per cent subsidy at source to the farmers, restricting the maximum subsidy as per the pattern of scheme under this scheme,” read the notification.
There will be another inspection by the SSF to confirm the plantation, following which; they will submit the claims of the farmers to the Zonal Agricultural Officers (ZAOs). After these are scrutinised, the District Agricultural Officers (DAOs) will release the subsidy.
