Team Herald

CANACONA: With deficient rainfall in Canacona so far, the local farmers are looking for other methods to water their fields. According to Zonal Agricultural Officer Shivram Gaonkar, the farmers have started to irrigate their fields and plantations with the help of open wells, streams, lakes and other water bodies. He added that the pumps used by the farmers were costly, but were necessary as the farmers did not want to lose their crops.

According to the former chairman of Canacona Taluka Farmers Society Vithoba Gaonkar, adequate rainfall meant the fields would be naturally watered, resulting in less labour and electricity costs. Since the farmers were paying an inflated electricity bill due to the pumps, they would have to sell their harvested crops at higher rates.

A farmer from Cotigao Tulsidas Gaonkar said the farmers were also worried about the presence of caterpillars in their fields. When the rains were scanty, the caterpillars would grow in abundance and feed on leaves, thus destroying the crops. Heavy showers would help wash away the pests.

He further informed that the farmers were spraying insecticides on the crops to keep pests away. However, the cost of insecticides was also high.

He added that the farmers wouldn’t be able to sell their produce at last year’s rates because wholesalers stocked plenty of non-perishable items in their granaries and sold the old stock at the prevailing market rate.

Traditional farmer Jorgo Velip said despite government help they could not compete with farmers from outside, as they are large scale farmers.

Traditional farmer Jorgo Velip pointed out that the government was giving them subsidy on seeds, saplings, fertilizers, insecticide and other equipment. However, Goan farmers could not compete with farmers from outside the State as the former were marginal farmers, while the latter cultivated huge acres of land by forming groups or a farmer’s society.