MARGAO: The Agri Goa 2019 exhibition did not attract a sufficient crowd on day 1 even though the Agriculture Department had reportedly sent out more than 3000 invitations to farmers across the State and also published advertisements on newspapers. The most affected due to the lack of footfall were the three self-help groups who came all the way from Savordem. They were given one table in a stall which was allotted to Krishi Kendra.
At around 6 pm, the organiser had asked the women to pay Rs 500 for the table provided to them. This dampened the mood of the women. “We were here from morning but we didn’t sell much. Whatever profit we made is going for the payment of the table,” said a woman. They were selling chakris, pickle, sesame seed ladoos, and few other items ranging from Rs 20-50.
Two visitors met the organizer and tried to convince her to waive off the fees but the organizer explained that they too were affected by the poor response. She agreed to charge Rs 500 to use the table for all four days.
One of the visitors said that self-help groups have to be given stalls for free. “The woman told me she hardly earns 5 to 10 rupees on each item,” he said.
