Goemkapronn desk
CANACONA: In a virtual address, Union Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan along-with Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant interreacted with Canacona farmers on Monday as Canacona farmers called for solutions to stop the animal menace in destroying agriculture crops.
The union minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan in a video conference call addressed the farmers, besides the agriculture officers and Krishi-Mitr (Swayampurna –mitras) explaining the availability of various schemes and government assistance in all types of agricultural equipment and agriculture structural needs of the farmers. Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant who had also joined the video conference, also guided the farmers and Krishi mitras virtually.
According to Canacona ZAO Nagesh Komarpant, there are between 70-80 Union Government and State Government agriculture schemes for the farmers, and the government is doing everything possible so that these schemes reach all the farmers in a timely manner. ‘Our Krishi-Mitras visit each of the villages and even the farmer’s households to explain and extend these schemes so that all the farmers benefit.
Sinchai Yojna, besides schemes to Dig wells, Fit Pumps, infrastructure developments besides extending Sprinkle-pumps, farming-equipment, machinery, Cashew farming, Pine Farming, paddy farming,
Last year over 3000 farmers were extended schemes worth Rs.4.36 Crores, and up to August this year 1.40 cr are disbursed to 2700 Farmers of Canacona. The crop damages and losses due to rains this year will be compensated to about 60 farmers of Canacona before Ganesh Chaturthi.
‘Many of the farmers do not know, but each Krishi-Card holder can avail load of upto 1 lakhs of Rupees for their agriculture expenses’, Nagesh Komarpant.
Incidentally, Komarpant stated that more of the schemes can be better availed by community farming instead of individual farmers, and we keep on explaining such benefits to the farmers. “Whatever central govt schemes are there, we are reaching them to the farmers, through panchayats, where also Krishi-Mitra visits farmer-to farmer explains and delivers those schemes, the government is promoting natural farming and a conference was recently held in Khotigao giving it more importance. Assistance is given for the Honey production, Composting process, Gobar gas units assistance,
Earlier Shristhal farmer Ganesh Gaonkar informed that the bison and wild boars destroying paddy fields have increased manifold and called on the government to work out some plan to stop these avoidable losses to the farmers. ‘We have a feeling that these wild animals do not have sufficient food in the woods they live in and hence come to paddy fields and hill cultivations to feed for themselves.
Their feeding habits damage our crops and most cultivations are destroyed causing us heavy losses. It is time the government do something about it and stop the trend. We believe if these animals get food in the forest, they won’t come to fields and residential areas looking out for food and instead, they will remain in the forest only. Request the government, to plant more trees which can produce animal fruits and food in the mountains. Gaonkar advocated.
Canacona Municipal Council Chief Officer Ramesh Gaonkar, farmers Krishna Velip, besides several others were part of the participants in the virtual interaction with the union Agriculture Minister.
