MARGAO: The Comunidade of Chinchinim along with tenanted farmers has set out on a mission to revive agriculture in the village by cultivating a large area of fallow land.
“The area proposed to be cultivated is 170 ha. A major part of the land is owned by the Comunidade of Chinchinim, however, most of it is tenanted land. We are intending to do community farming. At present more than 40 farmers are participating,” said Agnelo Furtado, President of Comunidade of Chinchinim
“Most of the land was lying fallow and uncultivated for more than 10 years, except for an isolated case where just 3 farmers were planting with their own fencing for the last 3 years, which they have stopped altogether lately. The major problems are the non-availability of local labour and the high cost of manual labour, the other factor is the uncontrolled devastation done by the cattle which descend in large herds even from neighbouring villages of Cuncolim,” Furtado added.
“Our strategy for cultivation is two-pronged. Its large-scale mechanisation, with the help of Fr George Quadros of Don Bosco Society, Loutolim with his well-trained team, equipped with the latest Kubota tractors and transplanters, and an agricultural drone for fertilizers,” he added further.
While they have erected a long sturdy fence to keep the cattle away, they have left a large area unfenced for cattle to graze.
Fernandes further thanked the local MLA Cruz Silva and the Agriculture Department for being promising to help them with the subsidy.
He however pointed out that while the State government gives a 90% subsidy on fencing by community farming, it charges 18% GST and the Chinchinim farmers have requested the government to waive this GST charge to help them promote farming in a bigger way.
“Our motto and ideology is to revive our traditional agriculture and make land green and put the humble rice plate on the table of the poor man with help of Fr. George is known as the paddy man of Goa,” said Furtado.
On Wednesday, Assistant Parish Priest Fr Joseph blessed the transplanting initiative in the presence of around 70 people including stakeholders and agriculture aficionados.
