TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Stating that the overall area under rice production had reduced from 45,000 hectares to 32,000 hectares in the last 10 years due to mining, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director, Dr Narendra Pratap Singh said that now the trend is reversing due to the closure of mining operations.
Rice production is getting support due to closure of mining activity, which was one of the prime reasons for making farming a non-viable and unsustainable activity over a decade, Dr Singh said on Monday.
Speaking to media persons, Dr Singh said that ICAR is working to bring in more and more people especially from the mining talukas of Sanguem, Bicholim and Sattari to undertake farming. “Special training along with better technology would help in motivating farmers who had given up production for the last couple of years following their entry into the mining business,” he said.
The director said that the overall area under rice production has reduced from 45,000 hectares to 32,000 hectares since last 10 years. He said that the decrease is basically in the kharif crop with mining being the prime reason. “There are also many socioeconomic factors like cost of labour, non availability of market and fragmentation of land,” Singh pointed out.
There is also lack of involvement of rural youth in the rice production, Dr Singh added.
He said that halting mining activity in the state has worked well for agriculture as large numbers of farmers are coming forward to take up the traditional occupation once again. “Agriculture is a best alternative to mining,” he said adding ICAR will work towards providing better technology and market for the agricultural produce.
Singh said that ICAR is also working with the farmers in Taleigao to shift the paddy plantation from normal to Busa variety of Basmati rice which has a high export value.
He also announced that under the ‘tribal sub-plan of the government of India’ ICAR proposes setting up of modern mini rice mills for tribal farmers of Canacona, the first of its kind in the state, thus improving paddy processing. The mill will separate the husk from the rice, thus adding value to the final product
