SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
Panjim: The Goa government is focusing on promoting an Integrated Farming System (IFS) for achieving the goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 so also to make the State self-sufficient in agriculture produce.
The Government has also laid emphasis on branding and marketing the Goan local produce like rice, under its own brand.
The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has prepared a road map for agriculture sector with the focus being on improving the agriculture produce; moving to a self self-reliant system; branding Goa products; and doubling the farmers’ income by 2022. In this regard, a stakeholders meeting was undertaken by ICAR, which was attended by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Industries and Horticulture Corporation.
Addressing media persons, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant lamented that the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is less than 5 per cent and as such, he added that the State is highly dependent on other States to meet the local requirements of agriculture, horticulture, dairy, pottery, etc.
“At the time of pandemic, we realized that the time has come to become self-sufficient. Time has come to promote ‘vocal for local’. With focus on this, a road map has been prepared,” he said.
Sawant said that the emphasis is laid upon promoting Integrated Farming System (IFS) for achieving the goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. “This will help farmers’ income to go up by producing field crops along with other farm activities like dairy and poultry. The target is to ensure that net profit per annum is around Rs three lakhs to the farmers. Only then more farmers will get attracted,” he explained.
Sawant added that the government is all set to form Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) across all 12–talukas, with a minimum of 100 farmer members. “The farmers would be trained in processing, packing, marketing, branding, etc, which will help them to grow,” he said.
“The Government is also proposing to set up Rice Clusters, each in North and South, along with Food and Agro processing units, said Sawant, while adding that under the Rice Cluster, Goan rice varieties would be produced and marketed under the Goa brand. He added that a plant using advanced technology will also be set up for the purpose.
“We have to create our own brand and market our local produce. We need to be self sufficient in every commodity that our people need,” he said, while adding ‘when we talk about Swayampurna Goem, agriculture attains center stage.
The Chief Minister also said that the government will slowly phase out the practice of getting cows from other States for rearing in Goa.
