Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa government on Tuesday unveiled the ‘Goa State Amritkal Agriculture Policy 2025’ with a proposal of a ban on the conversion of all fields designated as ‘rice’, ‘morad’, ‘kher’ and ‘khazan’, and focus on revolutionising agriculture through organic farming, hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, urban agriculture, and vertical farming.
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Speaking to media persons after launching the policy at Mantralaya at Porvorim, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the policy has laid focus on promoting organic farming, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical farming, and urban agriculture and encouraged the cultivation of cash crops such as mango, cashew, and exotic fruits like avocado, rambutan, pomelo, and grapefruit, with subsidies to support farmers in adopting these high-value crops.
He said the policy has also focused on improving the quality and quantity of agricultural products in the State. Sawant also said all the sugarcane produced by farmers will be purchased by the government at the premises of Sanjivani Sugar Factory at notified rates.
The Chief Minister said policy has important measures for farmer welfare which includes the establishment of a Farmer Welfare Fund Board and a distressed farmers’ welfare fund.
The policy also seeks to increase number of the Kisan Credit Card limit for Goa’s 52,000 farmers. It has also proposed enacting the New Goa Farmers Welfare Act to provide guaranteed livelihood security and sustainable farming practices. The policy has focused on key areas like renewable energy in agriculture, agricultural startups, and innovations. The focus is on protecting Goa’s valuable agricultural heritage while combining it with modern farming techniques to boost productivity and sustainability.
The cultivation of khazan lands will be planned by building bunds and creating soil patterns that are better suited for farming. The policy also talks of a commitment to climate-resilient farming practices to protect agriculture in Goa from the effects of climate change, ensuring its long-term sustainability.
The policy has outlined restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes to healthy ecosystems and focus on managing water resources carefully by using water efficiently and conserving it through methods like rainwater harvesting and restoring traditional water systems.
The policy promoting agro-tourism will allow farmers with at least 4,000 square metres of land to participate and strict zoning rules will be put in place to designate specific areas for agro-tourism.
As per the policy, farmer field schools will be given priority, and demonstration farms will be established throughout Goa and in addition to cashew, mango, arecanut, support the cultivation of new cash crops like avocado, rambutan, grapefruit and pomelo.
