Extend financial aid: Sugarcane farmers to Goa govt
Sugarcane farmers in Goa have appealed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to extend the “Special Assistance for Sugarcane Growers” program for another five years. The program, set to expire in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, compensates farmers affected by the closure of the Dharbandora Sugar Factory in 2019. Many farmers depend on this assistance, which has already disbursed over Rs 40 crore to around 700 farmers. The farmers argue that without continued support, they will face severe financial hardship.
PANAJI: Sugarcane farmers from all over the state have written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, claiming that more than 900 families who cultivate sugarcane are entirely dependent on government assistance to survive. They are requesting that the Special Financial Assistance program be extended for an additional five years, or until a different arrangement is found.
In 2020, the government announced a five-year program called “Special Assistance for Sugarcane Growers” to compensate for the shutdown of the Dharbandora-based Sugar Factory in 2019.
The current fiscal year 2024–2025 is when the program is scheduled to expire. Nearly 700 farmers have received payments from the government totaling about Rs 40 crore as of last year.
Almost 908 households rely on the production of sugarcane and the extra help that the government offers. Many farmers would have no income if the program is terminated, and they may have to go hungry because it will be hard for them to pay for their meals,” the farmers wrote in the letter.
According to data, the government paid around 700 farmers over Rs 40 crore between 2020–21 and 2023–24; this year’s compensation is still being considered.
731 farmers received compensation of Rs 11.83 crore in the first year of 2020–21, which is equivalent to Rs 3,000 per metric tonne. The rate was changed to Rs 2,800 per metric tonne for 2021–2022, and 690 farmers received payments totaling Rs 10.28 crore.
The government handed out Rs 8.32 crore to 682 farmers last year, while 665 farmers received compensation totaling Rs 8.86 crore in 2022–2023 at a rate of Rs 2,600 per metric tonne. The government set the price at Rs 2,400 per metric ton.
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Source : Goemkarponn
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