MAPUSA: Sangolda farmers are devastated at the rotting of the crop and destruction of the paddy by animals. They claimed that they are among the few farmers who cultivate and take great care to guard the crop. This year the rains have destroyed the crop. They also said that while MLAs provide free machinery, fertilizer and seeds their MLA does not provide them anything and they have to purchase it. They demanded compensation for the destruction of crop.
“We have been cultivating these fields for the last 40 years in Sangolda. We are asking the subsidy which was being given, be given to us. The most number of fields are in Sangolda, other villages do not plant their fields. Only once Minister Dilip Parulekar had given us fertilisers. In other constituencies, MLAs give the farmers fertilizer, seeds, machinery. But we do not get anything,” a woman farmer complained.
“There are so animals who come by night and destroy the crop. We don’t know what kind of animal it is,” she said.
Farmer Asha Palyekar stated, “This time I had to grow the seed twice. The first time it got spoilt and I had to re-sow the paddy. Second, time only weeds grew. Very little paddy grew. We should be compensated for this loss. If we have to hire machinery we have to pay for it. In Calangute the MLA provides everything free. ”
“Our entire crop has rotted this time due to the heavy rains and flooding of fields. We guarded our fields for 10 to 12 days then it rotted. Now we have replanted by using machinery. That too is rotting. There is no drainage,” another elderly woman farmer stated.
