11 Aug 2022  |   06:16am IST

Salcete, Mormugao leading the way in agriculture

Both talukas add to total land under cultivation; increase cover by 47 hectares from 5,200 in 2020 to 5,247 in 2022
Salcete, Mormugao leading the way in agriculture

MARCOS GONSALVES



MARGAO: Farmers in Salcete and Mormugao have become torch bearers of farming activity as the South Goa Agricultural Office (SGAO) has recorded an increase of 47 hectares of land under cultivation during the last two years. 

The SGAO at Margao informed that the agricultural area which was 5,200 hectares in 2020 has increased to 5,247 hectares this year.

Appreciating the hard efforts of the farmers from Salcete, the Zonal Agricultural Officer (ZAO) Shariff Furtado told Herald, “Farmers of Salcete are taking forward the agriculture not just as a profit making business but as a means of tradition, handed over to them by their forefathers.”

Officials of the Agriculture Department said that from this, it can be seen that the trend of youth in Salcete is increasing towards agriculture. They feel that Salcete has a good potential to bring more areas under cultivation. 

In 2020, the area under Kharif cultivation in Salcete Division was 5,200 hectares. In the financial year 2021, the area under cultivation increased by about 20 hectares. "This year there has been a further increase in the area. This year 2 lakh 71 thousand 50 square meters of land i.e. about 27.105 hectares of additional land has come under cultivation," stated Furtado. 

He further informed that Francisco Coutinho of Benaulim has cultivated 8,950 square meters of land, John Barreto 6,100 square meters, Mariano Fernandes 6,000 square meters, Tanisha Carvalho of Raia 2,000 square meters, and Godfry Dias of Navelim has cultivated 28,000 square meters of land. Along with this, a total of 27.105 hectares of land from Chinchinim Farms Club has also come under cultivation in this year.

During the Covid-19 pandemic period, many youth looked at agriculture as a career and those youth got down to the soil. Many of them are still engaged in farming and other businesses. For the past two years, it was believed that the growth in the agricultural sector during the Covid period would remain temporary. 

However, Salcete and Mormugao talukas are exceptions. This is clear from the information available from the SGAO which covers these talukas. 

This information clearly shows that there has been an increase in the agricultural area under continuous cultivation in the last two years. 

Under the 'Shetkari Aadhaar Nidhi' scheme, a compensation of Rs 25000 per hectare is released to the farmers. This year, 101 farmers from Salcete had applied under this scheme. A total fund of Rs 11 lakh 80 thousand has been released to them. It is mandatory for the farmer to have 'Krishi Card' to avail the benefit of this scheme, informed the ZAO. 

"Our office provides full support to all the farmers of Salcete and Mormugao Talukas. Seeds are provided along with necessary machinery to the farmers. All kinds of efforts are made to ensure that the maximum number of farmers get the benefit of various schemes," he added. 

Caitan Fernandes, farmer from Nuvem told Herald that his agricultural land has been gifted to them by forefathers. “It is our duty to take it forward. We hardly earn any profit from the paddy cultivation, but this tradition is very close to our heart and soul," he said. 


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