MARGAO: The Dramapur-Sirlim panchayat organised a special gram sabha, inviting ‘Goyche Fuddle Pillge Khatir’ (GFPK), a dedicated civil society organisation, to shed light on the intricacies of the draft Agriculture Policy. The event aimed to inform concerned citizens, farmers, and environmentalists about the potential implications of the policy on agriculture and the environment.
Jack Mascarenhas, president of GFPK, took centre stage to deliver a comprehensive presentation, unravelling the complexities of the draft policy and emphasising the importance of public awareness in shaping policies. Mascarenhas highlighted the meticulous process followed by the GFPK team, including the establishment of an expert committee that crafted 12 chapters with a total of 105 points within the draft policy.
Mascarenhas also explained how Saudi Arabia, being a desert country, used technology in farming and became an exporter of wheat. He also gave a few examples of how Goans are undermined and how big builders are putting up multistorey buildings and discharging sewage into paddy fields.
Amancio Fernandes, a retired deputy director of agriculture, stressed that agriculture not only includes the green side, such as paddy, vegetables, coconut, etc., but also includes dairy farming (white revolution) and fish farming (blue revolution).
He also spoke on the importance of the following points; formation of farmers’ clubs in each village and linking them with the panchayat., Fast track courts to clear title and tenanted land disputes, storage facility for agriculture produce, Goan NRI association to fund agri-processing units and other aid for farmers. Carmelito Andrade, a certified drone pilot, gave an overview of how technology can be used in farming, such as GIS mapping, early disease detection, spraying organic fertilizer and pesticide.
As part of the feedback/discussion session, farmers expressed their suggestions and concerns, requesting GFPK to consider their inputs and refine the discussed points. The gram sabha members concluded with a unanimous resolution based on the noted points regarding the agriculture policy.
