The road to boosting Goa's economy runs through agriculture

The govern-ment has laid stress and a thrust on agriculture in its State Budget 2019-20. Doubling the farmer’s income by 2022 and bringing in around 25,000ha of uncultivated land under farming is what the Agriculture Department has envisaged. But the bigger question remains is if the plans on paper will ultimately reflect on the ground in terms of results in this decade. For Goa’s financial outlook to improve - they have to sow the seeds today in order to reap the benefits tomorrow and agriculture, the primary occupation of the State’s pollution, is in dire need of a revolution. SHWETA KAMAT reviews the present situation

Published on:

09 Jan 2020, 12:11 am

A mongst the tough challenges the State government is facing in its quest to revive the agriculture sector, lack of value addition has been attributed as one of the major factors that has held youth back from taking up farming actively. Against this backdrop the government has a very large task ahead of them – finding ways to ensure that the agriculture sector becomes a major contributor in the growth story of the primary sector of the State during the current decade.

Through, the growth rate in the agriculture sector had doubled from 2 per cent in 2012 to 4 per cent in 2014, it remained stagnant since then. The then (late) Manohar Parrikar-led government, had set a target of 6 per cent growth in the sector, way back in 2012. But the government is yet to achieve the same.

"Increasing the income of farmers is one of the main mottos of the government today. The more profitable we make the agriculture, the more we will see, and more youth will also come forward to take up commercial mode of agriculture," Canacona Agriculture Zonal Officer Shivram Gaonkar said.

On the other hand, the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) Miguel Braganza is of the opinion that the youth have already started getting attracted to this sector. He further stated that what the youth need right is now, is that feeling of security and certainty that agriculture is a gainful employment.

Government's current thrust

The government has laid stress and a thrust on agriculture in its State Budget 2019-20. Doubling the farmer’s income by 2022 and bringing in around 25,000ha of uncultivated land under farming is what the Agriculture Department has envisaged.

Contract farming, rice intensification system and mechanised paddy transplantation are the focus areas of the department, which is working towards increasing the State’s agriculture production giving a boost to farmers, through scientific methods.

“There are various reasons for large tracts of fallow lands and cultivable waste land. The prime reason is that farmers today find paddy cultivation to be less profitable. Hence, our focus is now on making paddy more profitable by reducing cost of cultivation, cost of labour and getting high yields,” said a senior agriculture officer.

Making paddy cultivation a profitable venture

The basic challenge before the State government is to make paddy cultivation a profitable venture so that the farmers get back to their fields. The State has been working on increasing paddy yield by using technology, for which subsidies are offered for purchasing agricultural machines.

"Being a farmer, I use the mechanised method for paddy cultivation. The mechanisation of transplanting of paddy as well as harvesting has helped reduce time and labour cost. This in fact, has helped me in double my income last year," said Ganesh Velip, a farmer from Canacona.

"The availability of labour is a major problem in the talukas of Pernem, Tiswadi, Bardez and Salcete. Mechanized transplantation had started a few years back but on a smaller scale. Now it has been promoted on large scale. The agriculture department has been providing the requisite subsidy for the same. Being a farmer, it has helped me to bring my fallow land under cultivation without spending anything on labour," Gajanan Naik, a farmer from Old Goa added.

Experts added that contract and community farming are the options available to revamp paddy cultivation. Under contract farming, the government has been encouraging those farmers who have fragmented farms, to join hands, thus covering larger tracts of farm land and reducing the cost of cultivation and also giving a proper yield.

During times when labour costs are high, paddy growers can save expenses and thereby reap extra benefits to the extent of 50 per cent for an individual grower and 60 per cent to the community, by adopting mechanised transplantation techniques and also using the waste land effectively for paddy cultivation.

Making coconut trade, a lucrative business

Lack of value addition has been attributed as one amongst the major factors holding back, coconut cultivation from becoming a lucrative commercial crop. Experts feel that in the new decade, it’s time to look for integrated farming encouraging coconut-based agri-businesses, in a bid to make farming of the crop as a remunerative trade.

Reasons such as decreasing yields, lack of commercial returns, competition from neighbouring State export and problems like eriophide mite and black headed caterpillar menace are forcing coconut farmers to grow the crop at very lower scale.

Coconut is an important plantation crop in Goa and is cultivated in an area of 25,730 ha with an average yield of 5014 kg per hectare.

Various reasons like increased wages of farm labourers, scarcity of skilled labourers or coconut pluckers, increased cost of fertilisers/manures, damage due to monkeys and pests for the reduced production of coconuts in the State.

“Coconuts are being sold at a price and the cultivation is not remunerative to farmers in the State. In order to increase income and enable sustainable livelihood, farmers need to take up value addition strategies,” Nagesh Karmarkar, a agriculture expert said.

Coconut oil, powder, sugar, cream, milk, virgin coconut oil (VCO), coconut shell powder, are some of the value added products, which have a huge demand in the national and international market.

Organic farming

The State government is exploring a new trend of Organic farming at the moment. The State's vision is focused on organic farming and about 10,000ha of area has been planned to be converted into organic farming by formation of 500 clusters (20ha each) in three years covering 12,000 farmers.

Vegetable and fruit cultivation

With Goa being a tourist and wedding destination, the local vegetables, fruits and flowers are in high demand. Having a very good local market, these are the cash crop for farmers.

The Agriculture Department is slowly laying a thrust on cultivation of hybrid vegetables, in a bid to make Goa self-sufficient in vegetable produce. Chillies, Brinjals, cluster beans, onions, lady fingers, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are amongst those 78 varieties that are grown and produced in Goa.

Similarly, local fruits, especially the likes of the watermelon, are grown in large numbers, apart from the traditional items like banana, mangoes, cashew, chiku, and guava.

"These are cash crops for farmers. They have tremendous scope and huge market locally. The cultivation will not only help in doubling but also tripling the income of the farmers, if it is done with dedication and hard work," Gaonkar said.

For vegetables, the government provides a subsidy of up to 75 per cent on seedlings, apart from the subsidy under the National Horticulture Mission. The produce has 100 per cent market in Goa itself.

Product marketing

Working out a scheme of things to promote Goa’s agricultural product, the State government is looking at European markets for the export of local vegetables and fruits. Digital marketing is another concept that the department is encouraging the farmers to adapt as technology is gradually becoming a significant part of how the market functions today.