Agriculture in Goa is under decline for almost a decade now. There was a time when each household use to grow their necessary food grains and vegetables in their fields for their consumption and some used to sell the produce to earn a living.
But gradually this activity has slowed down the years because the traditional farmers are no more. The cost of cultivating is also gone up and the youth nowadays have diverted their attention from agriculture to other ways of earning their livelihood.
As per the government estimates for year 2001-2002 from the total 36.11 lakh hectares only 13.93 lakh hectares came under cultivation. Rice being the staple food of Goa, the traditional farmers were only into cultivation of rice along with coconut, cashew, cereal, pulses and small amount of vegetables. The decline in the agricultural sector was clearly seen when government started importing the necessary food grains and vegetables.
For the last six to seven years most of the fields in the Pernem Taluka are left barren since the youth are more focused on their studies and jobs.
The introduction of food grains through ration could be another factor which has forced the farmers to abandon the paddy cultivation. The different schemes through which people get monthly pension may be another reason. The cost of production has also gone up with the labourers charging around Rs500 to Rs800 per day which leaves little room for any margin of profit.
But even after all this, some youth have understood the importance of taking up agriculture and few have taken up cultivating realizing that working in the fields keeps their health safe. Also the various schemes offered by the government are also attracting the people, specially the youth, back to agriculture. Some of the youth who are working in offices have now started to try their hand at agriculture.
Uday Prabhudesai, a B.Com and LLB degree holder is completely into farming for the past five years. He is one of the top most producers of sugarcane in Goa and grows 60 tonnes per acre. Along with this he has coconut, cashew plantations, paddy cultivation, flower cultivation, vegetables and also produces fertilisers. He has two polly houses in which he grows Gerbera also he grows fruits like pineapple and bananas.
Jayawant Sawant, a farmer from Mandrem, produced total amount of nine tones of vegetables which is supplied to horticulture. He grows chillis (nisha variety), ladyfingers, paddy (Jyoti variety), coriander on seasonal basis. His father was a traditional farmer who used to only grow paddy but he started growing up vegetables and he is into farming for the last 15 years.
Shriram Salgaonkar, a B.Com graduate is traditional farmer and started with farming soon after his graduation. He has total amount of 20 lakh sq mt area in which he grows paddy (Maya Kyoto & Kars variety) with an yearly production of 30 tones along with cashew nuts and high breed cucumber. He also does farming by taking other people’s field on contract. His vegetable product goes to horticulture and rice is taken up by the Agriculture Society Pernem.
Zonal Agriculture Officer of Pernem Prasad Parab said, “Goa is the only state which is giving out so many subsidies and schemes to the farmers who should take benefit and develop the agricultural sector”.
