Team Herald
MARGAO: Several farmers participated in the programme, where the Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan interacted through a virtual meet with them, ‘Swayampurna Mitras’ and officials assigned to deliver government schemes where they were assured of full support. The virtual address was live streamed at 213 locations across the State at 191 village panchayats, 14 municipalities and at all taluka levels.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, despite being part of the government, stated that there is a pressing need to ensure that subsidies and base prices are delivered to farmers in a timely manner.
His remark highlights the ongoing challenges in providing timely support to the agricultural sector.
He made this statement on Saturday during an online live interaction programme with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and farmers held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.
The MLA also expressed his opinion that there is a need to increase the subsidy to farmers. He emphasised that timely compensation is crucial for farmers to recover from losses; otherwise, they may be forced to abandon agriculture altogether.
He said, “There is a need for farmers to be in profit, and therefore the Agriculture Department must initiate supportive measures. Farmers often spend their own money on cultivation, only to face disappointment when they incur losses. Timely compensation is essential to address these issues and support their recovery.”
According to him, organic farming is not favourable in terms of profitability.
He believes that agriculture will suffer if farmers shift their focus to organic farming, as losses in this sector are generally higher. The chances of earning a profit from organic farming are perceived to be very low.