Statistics reveal alarming decline
PANJIM, AUG 21
Call it an impact of large scale conversion of land for construction purpose or the youth moving away from the business, agriculture in the State has seen a drastic downward trend in the year 2009-10 compared to the earlier ones.
Though the State has made impressive progress in terms of agricultural production since Statehood in 1987-88, it has been on a decrease in the recent years.
Figures in the Government brochure ‘Goa Economy’, complied by the Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation, on the State’s progress since Statehood, reveal a sorry picture of the State’s agricultural economy.
The total cropped area during Statehood was 1,30,575 hectares, which increased to 1,65,953 in 2008-09. It, however, reduced to 1,60,532 in 2009-10.
Also, the figures of net area sowed show a drastic drop of nearly 3000 hectares.
In 2008-09 the net area sown was 1,34,601 which fell to 1,31,769 the next financial year. The area sown more than once also declined to 28,763 from 31,352 in 2008-09.
There was significant rise in the area irrigated since statehood from 16,206 hectares to 38,563 ha only to see a drop in 2009-10 to 31,352.
Although the population of the State has increased from 10 lakh to 14 lakh since Statehood there has not been any significant increase in foodgrain
production.
At the time of Statehood, the production was 1,10,708 tones, which increased to 1,33,646 in 2008-09 but in 2009-10 it fell to 1,12,739.
The production of rice also has taken a beating in 2009-10. The production was 1,23,303 in 2008-09 and fell to 1,02,523 in 2009-10. The production of ragi also fell from 321 tonnes during Statehood to 157 tonnes in 2009-10.
The most significant was the drop in cash crop.
The production of sugarcane dropped from 80,000 tonnes during Statehood to 52,030 tonnes in 2009-10.
The production of cashew nut has been stable since 1987-88. In that year the production was 10,500 which at present is 13,179.
The production of coconut has increased from the time of Statehood (106.4 million nos) but has remained stagnant at 128 million nos in recent times.
In a bid to lure the youth to agriculture the State Government had announced several subsidy schemes and also increased the financial provision for agriculture. However, the efforts of the Government don’t seem to get the desired results.
