Cane farmers seek government assurance before new cultivation starts

PONDA: Stating that sugarcane cultivation involves considerable effort, lots of time and large sums of money, farmers have demanded a written assurance from the government before they invest in a fresh batch of crop.


A delegation of farmers that had met chief minister Pramod Sawant recently, said he had assured them that the government would send their harvested sugarcane to a factory in Khanapur , Karnataka, as the Sanjivani sugar factory may not open for production this season.

Following the meeting, the farmers said they had decided to suspend their proposed agitation.

Vice-chairman of the All Goa Sugarcane Cultivators’ Association Harshad Prabhudesai, said farmers need to preserve a certain amount of cane for the budding of new crop. This crop is sown in December or January after land is prepared for cultivation, he said, adding that it was the reason why farmers have been seeking an assurance from the government before fresh cultivation begins.