Team Herald
PORVORIM: The State government has formulated various schemes and providing subsidies to the farmers so as to make agriculture a profitable sector, said Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar.
Replying to the demands for grants for agriculture for the current fiscal, Kavalekar said that the community farming concept was found to be not encouraging because farmers were facing difficult to mobilise capital investment in the beginning even as the government is giving 90 per cent subsidy. When the community farming was launched only one application was received while, only 10 applications were received last year, he said.
Kavlekar said that for the convenience of farmers, zonal agricultural officers (ZAOs) will visit every village panchayat in their respective areas every week while, ZAO office will be opened in Mormugao taluka.
Also 12 farmers processing units will be established in a bid to encourage farmers to cultivate various crops and help to double their income.
The government has outsourced machinery and other required equipments in the larger interest of farmers, he said, adding that due to various things and incentives, the vegetable production in the State rose by 36 per cent.
He assured members that the Sanjivani sugar factory will not be shut down permanently and that the government has initiated process to restart the factory. Two consultants have also been appointed to prepare the detailed project report (DPR).
He said that during the closure of the factory, the government is buying sugarcane from the cultivators and paying them. Till date an amount of Rs 7.67crore has been disbursed to sugarcane cultivators and cases of 130 farmers is under process and they too would be paid soon.
Later, the demands for grants were passed by voice vote after defeating the cut-motions tabled by the opposition.
