BHIVA P PARAB | NT
PANAJI: Following the demonetisation of high denomination currency notes by the central government, farmers in Goa, especially the smaller ones, have been facing acute cash shortage, which is adversely affecting their winter crops.
Paddy being the principal crop of the state, it is usually grown in two seasons – kharif or sorod and the rabi or vaingan or winter crops. Farmers in the state had just begun with the process of cultivating the winter crops following the end of monsoon. However, the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes has affected this process of farmers, who carry out most of their business transactions in cash.
“We have been using cash since the last so many years for our farming activities, which include buying of seeds and paying the labourers. But the government’s demonetisation move has led to a cash crunch and cultivation, especially of paddy crop could be delayed because of that. We hardly have any cash in hand,” said a farmer Lata from Pernem taluka in North Goa.
Stating that she and other farmers use traditional variety of paddy seeds in their fields which are only available with other farmers and that they need cash to buy these seeds, Lata, however, said that to obtain cash they need to stand in long queues at banks, leaving aside their farming activities. “And after all this, we get Rs 2,000 notes, which are almost of no use now, as people hesitate to accept these notes for want of small change,” she said. She further said that some farmers are struggling to buy seeds and fertilisers. “With no money in hand, how will they complete the sowing,” she asked and added that they are unable to buy their full quota of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides on credit, as there is a limit.
Another farmer lamented that due to the shortage of cash, he was facing difficulty in getting daily wage labourers for working in his field. “We cannot pay them in old currency notes and we get only 2,000 rupee notes from the banks. As we are unable to pay them in cash, the labourers we used to get from outside the state are also not ready to come,” he said.
A section of farmers was of the opinion that the demonetisation move of the central government may be good, but smaller farmers are suffering due to the lack of proper planning on the part of the government. “There was a need for the government to make available enough Rs 100 and other smaller denomination notes in the market in advance, before taking this step. For farmers in the state, it is time for winter crops and this year, the climate has been good, especially after the state witnessing sufficient rain. We are hoping that the smaller denomination notes will be made available in the market at the earliest so that production of crops is not affected,” said the farmers.