PANJIM: Social media has propelled people into action. Remember the ‘ice-bucket challenge’ and then Indian cricket skipper Virat Kohli’s fitness challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi? The trending activity has led to active participation of celebrities and lay people in sportingly performing tasks.
Goa isn’t far behind. A rare ‘agro challenge’ is making waves on the social media platform daring politicians to get ‘a bit dirty’ in the paddy fields by assisting farmers, who are currently planting saplings.
Congress Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco was the first one to take up the challenge, which was initiated by Aquem-Baixo sarpanch Siddhesh Bhagat to create awareness on farming which is currently facing a threat with farmers taking up fast money making professions.
Soon after accepting the challenge, the Curtorim MLA was seen on a tractor in a paddy field in South Goa helping the farmers.
“I accepted your farming challenge Siddhesh Bhagat, my heart is always in fields with my farmers. They are my family,” the Curtorim MLA said, challenging Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte.
On Tuesday morning, Khaunte was seen taking up the agro challenge and in turn helping farmers in a field in Porvorim. “Challenge accepted! The farming community has always been dear to me and I will always strive to see them prosper,” Khaunte said, passing on the agro challenge to Congress Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro.
Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai who was also seen planting saplings in Fatorda said his act had nothing to do with the ‘agro challenge’. “Goa has 40,000 hectares of rice cultivation, khariff and rabi together, of which 50 per cent is uncultivated. The real challenge is to bring this area under cultivation. Last time we took 800 acres of land under mechanised farming. Government intends that Goans should be service provider for all agricultural operations,” he said.
The Agriculture Minister said mechanisation is one way to get the young generation attracted towards farming and that the State government has been providing incentives for mechanisation by providing Rs 19,500 per acre while actual cost is Rs 26,000.
