Tillari aids Pernem farms

MANDREM: Pernem has witnessed an overwhelming rise in paddy and sugarcane cultivation over the last couple of years due to the availability of water from the Tillari project. Most people in Pernem taluka sustain their living on farming, especially paddy cultivation. Around 2,800 ha of land is under paddy cultivation, while around 1,600 ha is under vegetation.
"There has been an overwhelming rise in paddy and sugarcane cultivation over the last couple of years due to the availability of water from Tillari," says Prakash Raut, assistant agriculture officer-Pernem. Ankush Naik, a teacher, says most farmers in Pernem still use traditional methods for tilling their lands. But, Raut counters that 70% of farmers use modern methods. Raut informs that farmers in Pernem and Mandrem have availed benefits of seeds like KHRZ, Mo17, Uma, Jyoti and Revati with a 50% subsidy. "Moreover, coconut saplings, mango grafts and cashew grafts are also supplied to them at subsidized rates. As many as 20,000 cashew grafts, 3,000 coconut saplings and 3,100 mango grafts were supplied to farmers this season at subsidized rates," he added and farmers like Dayanand Mhamal, a farmer from Mandrem concurs. 'We get better crops by using modern methods of farming. For instance, a tractor is available for 125 per hour. Besides, we get a 50,000 subsidy for purchasing a power tiller," said Raut.
Suresh Naik, manager at Janaseva Urban Co-operative Bank-Madhalamaj, Mandrem, says that counseling is essential to encourage youth to take up agriculture.
Babli Naik of Hankhane- Pernem says that factors such as uneconomical size of holdings, defective tenant system, social and economic factors including ignorance and superstitions have held back farmers from realising their true potential. Paddy farmers at Mopa like Kanta Parab have gravitated towards Mandoli-Banana cultivation. "It has proved to be better yielding. Especially, keeping in mind, the cost of labour and other requirements," he said.