Compensate crop loss: farmers
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CANACONA, NOV 20
Perturbed over the widespread destruction of seasonal crop in Canacona due to extended monsoons, Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar has asked the government to declare the catastrophe as a state disaster and compensate the affected farmers.
Tawadkar along with over 200 farmers met Canacona Mamlatdar Chandrakant Shetkar on Thursday and submitted over 600 applications from affected farmers.
Due to incessant rains at the harvesting stage, most farmers in Canacona taluka have reportedly suffered upto 100% damage to their paddy crop.
It is learnt that over 90% of the seasonal crops, including paddy, arecanut plantation and chilly plantations, have suffered damages.
“At this stage, farmers are left with no chance either to retrieve or replant their crop. It is a catastrophe for the farmers and government should declare this casualty as a state disaster or at least a a Canacona taluka disaster,” Tawadkar told Herald.
The rains were so severe at the harvesting stage, that most farmers had no chance to save or even salvage paddy in many low-lying fields.
The Canacona mamlatdar had agreed to appoint a committee consisting of a BDO, Sarpanch and Talathi to assess the losses suffered by Canacona farmers during the harvesting stage, before submitting the report to the government for compensation.
Local agriculture sources have informed that Canacona taluka’s paddy production is approximately 2000-2500 Kg/ha, while an area of approximately 1600 hectares is under paddy cultivation in the taluka.
