Poinguinim: When sugarcane farmers from Goa are struggling to revive the state’s only sugar mill for crushing their cane, a man from Cotigao village in Canacona has come forward as a saviour for them. Umesh (Daya) Gaonkar is paying farmers more than the government’s fixed rate for sugarcane for his jaggery production units. Gaonkar who is also a sarpanch of Cotigao is buying cane at Rs 1000 per quintal as against the govt’s price of Rs 650 per quintal.
He also provides the waste generated after crushing the sugarcane, free of cost to the dairy farmers in his neighbourhood in Canacona, saving these milk production units the cost of purchasing cattle feed.
“I am buying entire sugarcane grown by farmers in Cotigao and Gaondongrim in Canacona. About 20 farmers are tied up to my unit. Their harvest is about 200 tonnes,” he said.
