Agriculture has been the main occupation of our ancestors. However, farming in Goa has slipped into passive mode with focus on more lucrative and less strenuous occupations like tourism, mining, construction besides service sector. The Covid-19 outbreak and the resultant lockdown had suddenly made Goa realise the need to be self-sufficient, create value chain and get back to the basics of sustainable farming. Yet, the value chain has not been created. The State also desperately requires to set-up food and fruit processing industries.
Goan agriculture is unique. Being part of Western Ghats and close to forest cover, agriculture is by default mostly organic. The State’s geographical area is 3,702 sq kms and about 35 per cent, that is, 3,70,200 Ha, is under agriculture. Some of the Goa’s main cash rich crops are cashew, coconut and spices. Alsane, Tambdi Baji, Bhendi, Mancurad Mango, Khola chillies and the like are unique to Goa and some have acquired Geographical Indication. The stage is set but the proper marketing and processing needs to gear up for optimal use of product which will surely help the Goan farmers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spelt out a vision for India to become Atma nirbhar (self reliant) and announced a stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore. The package is to focus on four ‘Ls’ (Land, labour, liquidity and laws besides localisation). These focus areas are wholly relevant to Goa too. Goa can certainly take help of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to take its agriculture produce to the next level.
Goa heavily depends on neighbouring States for meetings its requirements of vegetables, dairy products, meat and even fish. Yes, fish too, despite over 100 kms of coastline. The demand for fish in Goa is so high that it needs to get it from other States. Of course, substantial fish catch of Goa goes to export market to fetch good foreign exchange. Local potential for food production should be tapped in full. From nutritional value point of view it is best to consume food grown locally where the travel time between farm and plate is minimum.
As far as land is concerned, land ownership in Goa and reforms in legal framework in which Goa has unique land ownership patterns, from independent holding to comunidade ownership share, a Portuguese legacy, rendering most owners not being able to prove absolute ownership of the properties they own. Consequently, they cannot access institutional loans or most State benefits. Farm land is left fallow.
The remedy is reforms in laws. One of the recommendations of the Expert Committee (Economic Revival Committee) set up by the State government to suggest measures for revival of State economy soon after the Covid-19 was to set up a committee of legal experts to recommend reforms to the prevailing State laws to ensure clarity in land titles and succession. Laws relating to contract farming and land leasing should be adopted in the State. Further, many absentee landlords leave their lands fallow rather than leasing out to cultivators for the fear of not getting their land back.
Government of India has suggested to State governments three model acts Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016; Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017; and Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2018. The committee of legal experts can examine these model Acts also and suggest to the State government adoption of the model laws appropriately to facilitate leasing of land and contract farming.
When we talk about liquidity and that through access to institutional finance, farmers or ‘agropreneurs’ can access institutional loans in Goa through the bank branches.
Institutional loans, coupled with benefits under state schemes, would give the much needed liquidity to farmers to tap full potential of agriculture. NABARD has recently opened a special liquidity facility for cooperative banks and RRBs to support post harvest requirements of farmers for Rabi and Kharif crop loans through Kisan credit cards (KCC). Working capital needs for dairy and fisheries sector would also be financed by the banks under KCC.
Goan youth are very much interested to take up agriculture, but proper agro skilling, orientation, infrastructure and handholding is required and the government, especially the Agriculture Department, needs to work faster on it.