Panaji: The State government is expected to discontinue the ‘Special Assistance-cum-Compensation Scheme’ for sugarcane farmers, which has been in place since 2020. The five-year scheme is set to officially conclude this financial year, having provided Rs 40 crore in payments to around 700 farmers so far, reported The Goan.
On Tuesday, the government announced that it would procure sugarcane from farmers at the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) set by the Central government.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured farmers that all sugarcane produced would be purchased at the Sanjivani Sugar Factory premises at the notified rates. “A formal notification on this will be issued soon,” he said.
According to sources, farmers will need to deliver their produce to the factory premises, where the government will buy it at the FRP determined by the Centre. “The FRP rates fluctuate, as per the media report by The Goan.
The Special Assistance Scheme was introduced in 2020 after the closure of the Dharbandora-based Sanjivani Sugar Factory in 2019. It was initially launched for five years to support farmers affected by the factory’s shutdown.
However, sources confirmed that the government will not extend the scheme beyond this year and will instead purchase sugarcane at the notified rates. “The scheme will lapse this year, with no further extension, despite farmers’ requests to continue it until the factory resumes operations,” a source said.
Government data shows that from 2020-21 to 2023-24, nearly 700 farmers received Rs 40 crore in total compensation, while payments for the current year are still under review.
In 2020-21, 731 farmers were compensated with Rs 11.83 crore at a rate of Rs 3,000 per metric tonne. The following year, the rate was revised to Rs 2,800 per metric tonne, with 690 farmers receiving Rs 10.28 crore.
In 2022-23, 665 farmers were paid Rs 8.86 crore at a rate of Rs 2,600 per metric tonne. Last year, 682 farmers received Rs 8.32 crore, with the rate set at Rs 2,400 per metric tonne.
