PANJIM: With several plans in mind to promote agriculture as an industry in Goa, the State government is contemplating the possibility of setting up a Farmers’ Public Limited Company in a bid to resolve all problems faced by the community, further encouraging and creating a national market for their agricultural produce.
The Agriculture department is toying with various ideas for promoting agriculture as an industry, which include value-addition to seasonal fruits like jackfruit, mangoes and cashew and production of low-calorie sugar from toddy of high breed coconuts.
Addressing the media on Monday, Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar said the government would soon form a special expert committee to make field visits to various States and study the unique agricultural experiments, which could be implemented in Goa.
“Government aims to promote agriculture as an industry. All possible steps will be initiated in this regard. Formation of expert committee would be the first step towards this initiative,” the minister said, adding that ‘there are also plans to set up Farmers’ Public Limited Company, which will have farmers as members and will benefit from promotion of agriculture’.
Tawadkar said that Kerala has done research with seasonal fruit jackfruit, promoting as a health medicinal fruit too. “We are also planning to work on similar lines,” he said.
Tawadkar said that a farmer – Krishna Naik – has managed to undertake an experiment of producing nearly six litres of toddy from high breed coconut trees, which have been used to produce low-calorie sugar. “The sugar can be sold at Rs 350 per kg,” he said.
The department for the current year has already distributed around 10,000 saplings of high breed coconut.
Informing about the steps initiated for promoting agriculture, Tawadkar said the government has adopted 58 villages under the ‘Model Village’ concept, wherein a special agricultural survey would be undertaken to ascertain agricultural productivity.
He also said that 1000 farmers from 12 zones would be selected for undertaking various agricultural production experiments, and be provided 100 percent financial support.
