Government announces plans for fallow land

PANJIM, MARCH 25
The chief minister today announced plans to bring fallow land under cultivation and provide incentive to the tiller.
In his budget speech, the chief minister said that  in order to bring large tracks of  fallow  agricultural lands under cultivation, the owners would be encouraged to put their agriculture land to productive use either by tilling themselves or by making it available to the farmers cooperative societies, self help groups, etc through the Department of Agriculture. “This will help manage the supply side economics per se”, he said.
For this purpose, a one time grant of Rs 50,000 for two hectares would be provided, he said. Besides, they will also be entitled for other agri-schemes.
The state, he said, would also arrange to provide soft loans through farmers credit card, adding that the details of the scheme would be worked out shortly. A provision of Rs 10 crore is made in the budget.
Kamat has also proposed to enact Contract Farming Act to encourage contract farming to bring the fallow land under gainful cultivation.
“Once the Act is passed in the next session of the Goa assembly, I would expect to bring 700 hectares of uncultivated land under cultivation during this financial year”
SUPPORT PRICE: The chief minister also proposed to maintain the existing support price except on coconut on which the minimum rate would be raised to Rs 5 from the existing Rs 4.
Further he proposed to increase the number of coconuts eligible for support price to 50000 from the existing 25000.
BATTERY: As an infrastructure support, the government plan to provide 70 % and 90 % subsidy on solar power battery fencing for farmers of general and SC/ST category.
He also proposed to strengthen the bunds along river banks for protecting the khazan fields from inundation by river water.