MARGAO: Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik appealed to the youth to take a step forward in the agricultural sector, stating that the maximum agricultural land needs to be brought under cultivation to protect from conversions.
On Friday, he along with Director for Agriculture Department Navel Afonso and other officials visited the South Goa office- cum-farm at Margao and took stock of the agricultural activities.
Speaking to media persons, Naik said that his department is working out a solution to compensate the farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains, including farmers engaged in cashew production.
“As we all know, the soil in Goa is suitable for the cultivation of mango and coconuts and hence the Agriculture Department is planning to formulate some schemes that will promote farmers in this regard. Our focus is to increase the production of mango and coconut,” Naik said.
He also said that the department will hand over the mango and coconut tree saplings to every MLA of Goa so that they can distribute them to the people of their constituency.
“We want to encourage the farmers and not to discourage,” he assured.
Naik also said that the subsidies given for the cultivation of coconuts and mangoes will be increased and a new scheme will be prepared very soon.
Afonso said, “The amount pertaining to compensation to the farmers suffering losses due to natural calamities has been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per hectare.
“This scheme is not applicable to the farmers engaged in cashew production, but the department will compensate all those farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains,” the Director said.
