Team Herald
PONDA: In an attempt to boost agriculture in the State and increase the area of cultivating land, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik has directed officials of the Department to visit farmers and encourage the youth to take up farming as a profession.
While on one hand the government will promote agriculture as a lucrative profession, on the other hand, Naik has announced prize money for officials of his department who successfully increase the land under cultivation.
Naik said “There is need to encourage youth and farmers to increase cultivation of vegetables, paddy and other crops as Goa State is dependent on other states and in case of a strike or other problems, if transportation is stopped than Goa would face shortage and therefore there is need for self reliance in case of agriculture production.”
He further said that there is a shortage of labour force and therefore urged farmers to use modern machinery. “If you can’t afford than hire machinery and the Agriculture Department will offer this machinery on fifty percent subsidy,” he added.
The Minister further said that the Coconut Development Corporation will be formed and farmers will be provided subsidy, and coconut based industry will be developed using all by-products.
He informed that the Agriculture College announced earlier will be located at Ella Farm in Old Goa against the earlier site at Kodar Farm in Ponda.
