MARGAO: The Director of the State Agriculture Department Nevil Alphonso has urged farmers in Goa to take advantage of the recently launched ‘Promotion of Sri Anna-Millets Cultivation’ scheme.
Speaking to media persons at a department function in Margao, he pointed out that it aims to promote the cultivation of millets, enhance the area and production of the cereal and bring fallow areas under millet cultivation.
“The government wants to make the cultivation of millets more economically viable. All the farmers in the state cultivating millets on own land, tenanted, leased, contract or inherited lands are eligible for the scheme which gives financial incentive of Rs 20,000 per hectare,” said Alphonso.
While cultivation of millets in Goa had dropped from earlier figures to around 20 hectares of land, he added that already they have managed to increase that size to 45 hectares of land and are also trying to get more farmers to take up re-cultivation of the same.
Presently, only two-three varieties of millets are grown in Goa viz. ragi (nachne), finger millet and also proso millet.
The scheme promotes millets grown by local farmer’s groups, community farmers, Self Help Groups (SHGs), farmer’s clubs, etc.
To avail the scheme, interested farmers have to submit their application along with the documents to the zonal agriculture officer within 30 days of planting of millets.
The Agriculture Minister is empowered to relax any or all clauses or conditions of the scheme in genuine cases. The incentive will be provided to farmers on a pro-rata-basis with minimum area of 500 sq mts and maximum of two hectares.
