What Soter says about prices of produce is correct. But is it not the unchecked powers of the government that is responsible for this? It works both ways - sometimes in favor of the farmers and sometimes in favor of the consumers. When the government imposes price controls or bans exports, the farmer cannot get the market price for his produce. When the government subsidies water usage for the farmer (mostly ground water), it encourages waste and a receding water table. Ditto for fertilizers, diesel fuel, electricity ..... What does not change however, is regardless of whether the government giveth or taketh, it always gets its cut. Unfortunately, leftists like Soter believe that the government is the solution, when it is in fact the main problem.
As far as mechanization, it has been already stated that this has not been implemented very successfully thanks to farm sizes being relatively small in Goa. Marlon ________________________________ From: soter <[email protected]> Mervyn wrote: "As a former farm labourer, I can assure all here that farm work is back breaking and the sure path to poverty. Real economic progress comes from industrialisation. Green/golden rice fields should remain only in the realms of nostalgics and dreamers." comment: This is typical 'town boy' argument as Pinheiro has rightly labelled it in one of his posts. If it is cheap labour that was the problem then the machines have now been put into operation in several areas. This should fix the problem if it is so simple. Mervyn acknowledges that farm work is back breaking but no sooner the onions and potato prices increase, we have the 'town boys' screaming against price rice urging government to put curbs on exports and so on. Farming is back breaking for those who become habitual with living on other people's so to say blood and sweat. While we have a fast growing tribe of blood sucker 'town boys' who sell their services and skills to the highest bidder in the inudstrialised market, when it comes to agricultural produce this very 'town boy' wants cheap labour and his vegetables and milk at a throw away price. For his own rare product, he will keep a high price but when it comes to buying his food the same parameters will never be acceptable to 'Town boys'. This is the hypocrisy of an urbanised industrial economy and its exploitative mindsets. -Soter
