Authorities say there’s no compensation for disease-hit paddy
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: “Rice Blast” has hit Salcete’s granary – Curtorim – with farmers complaining of large-scale destruction of paddy cultivation by the disease this season.
While the disease had raised its ugly head in Nuvem, Guddi-Paroda and Macazana in Salcete taluka, Curtorim farmers were the worst hit leaving them without any produce or return.
That’s not all. While the beleaguered farmers have pleaded for suitable compensation as they are literally ruined by the disease, the agriculture department has virtually shut its doors saying there’s no scheme to cover the farmers hit by disease.
A visit to the once lush green paddy fields in Curtorim revealed the extent of anxiety writ large on the faces of the farmers. Says Ida Luis: “We farmers are doomed this season. After spending huge amount of money, there’s no return this time. We have spent on sowing and manpower. We cultivate only one crop. The officials do not come to our fields for want of a road. We appeal to the authorities to bail us out from this situation”.
Another farmer Natalia Furtado echoed similar sentiments. She said the crop has died because of the disease. “We had brought the situation to the notice of the agriculture department, but it gave us fungicide and pumps, but it has not worked. The farmers here have suffered heavy losses. We earnestly hope the government would help us out”, she added.
An elderly farmer, Piedade Estibeiro made a fervent plea to the government to compensate them for the huge losses. “The disease has hit paddy in a big way. We have lost everything this time”, she said, while seeking government’s intervention to help the farmers.
When Herald contacted Zonal Agricultural Officer Sandeep Fal Desai, he confirmed that the paddy cultivation in Curtorim is hit by the Rice Blast disease. He, however, expressed his helplessness in meeting the farmers’ demand for compensation saying that compensation is available only in times of natural calamity. “This time, Rice Blast had raised its ugly head in Gudi-Paroda, Nuvem, Macazana and Curtorim. While the paddy recovered after farmers sprayed fungicide in Paroda, Nuvem and Macazana, the situation turned worse in Curtorim”, confirmed Faldessai.
When his attention was drawn to the demand of the affected farmers for compensation, the ZAO said there’s no provision for compensation when the crop is hit by a disease. “Compensation is made available only when the crop is affected by natural calamity”, he said, but hastened to add that his office will take up the matter with the Director of Agriculture if the affected farmers make a representation to this office.
Curtorim deputy sarpanch J Santano Rodrigues, however, said the farmers are within their right to claim compensation for the destruction. “They are poor farmers left high and dry by the disease. The government should intervene and compensate them. Otherwise, a wrong message would go to the farmers that the government does not come to their rescue in times of need”, Rodrigues added.
