Team Herald
MARGAO: Alleging that government schemes for the benefit of farmers only remain on paper, and that subsidies to support agriculture do not arrive in time, ‘Sirjem Add Tenant Association’, a farmers’ body based in Curtorim, has warned that they may be forced to stop cultivation and seek other means of income. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Milagres Menezes, President of the association, demanded that the support price be increased from Rs 20 to Rs 50 as labour and other costs have skyrocketed. “We have been engaged in cultivation for many generations but considering the prevailing situation, the next generation may not follow suit as farming is no longer viable for us,” said Menezes. Treasurer Rupesh Naik added, “We demand that the government increase the subsidy price. The Chief Minister needs to physically visit us and look into the practical difficulties we face; agriculture reports cannot be prepared in an office.”
He said that farmers from the locality are not happy with the yield this year but will soon start ploughing the fields for a second paddy crop.
