VASCO: Good news for the agriculture enthusiasts and farmers of Mormugao taluka. The file to have a dedicated Zonal Agricultural Office (ZAO) for Mormugao taluka has been approved and passed in the cabinet meeting on Friday.
Director of Agriculture Nevil Alphonso informed that the file related to the ZAO of Mormugao has been passed and approved in the cabinet meeting and now the department is waiting for the filling up of the staff required in this office. Once we get the required staff, the ZAO will be opened immediately.
“ZAO work has been taken up on war footing and the department is trying hard to set up the office within this month,” said Alphonso.
When questioned if the suitable place to set up the office has been identified, Alphonso said that they are in the process of identifying the place in Mormugao.
Valerie Afonso, a youth from Chicalim had written a letter to the Director of Agriculture some months back asking for a ZAO for Mormugao taluka so that all farmers could benefit from it.
When contacted Valarie, she said “It is really good to hear that the Director of Agriculture has taken up this issue and our request seriously. I feel if the ZAO comes to the Mormugao taluka then many farmers will get a boost and feel optimistic in taking up farming again. People from Mormugao who otherwise have to travel especially to Margao to seek any information, schemes, seeds etc will be benefitted.”
Fr Bolmax Pereira, parish priest of Chicalim church also appreciated this move by the Director of Agriculture and said that it is great news for the people of Mormugao.
Fr Pereira said “A dedicated ZAO in Mormugao will give easy accessibility, support and right information to the local farmers from this taluka. Farmers from Vasco city and other nearby villages will get support and encouragement to do agricultural activities in the barren lands which are otherwise remaining unutilized.”
“My only point is that this ZAO should be set up at the centrally located area of Mormugao taluka so that all farmers from all villages benefit,” he added
It may be recalled that On June 6, 2020, GOACAN NGO wrote a letter to the Director of Agriculture citing that it is important to have a full-fledged Zonal Agricultural Office for Mormugao taluka. As a part of the Economic Revival Plan for Goa having such an office in Mormugao, agriculture will get a boost and farmers from the taluka will be able to access seeds, manure and machinery from the Directorate of Agriculture.
Further, on August 6, 2020 Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Chandrakant (Babu) Kavelkar has stated that as soon as he took charge of the agriculture minister’s portfolio, he decided to set up one special dedicated ZAO for Mormugao taluka and three other constituencies.
Kavlekar had also mentioned that he had a discussion about this issue with the Director of Agriculture and there was a discussion and suggestions whether to set up ZAO in an existing government premises or to build new infrastructure for ZAO in Mormugao taluka.
In the month of September 2020 The Director of Agriculture reverted back to the GOACAN NGO informing that the proposal for dedicated Zonal Agriculture Office (ZAO) for Mormugao taluka has been placed before the State government for its approval.
Recently in June 2021 Chicalim Youth Farmers Club (CYFC) had also written to the Director of Agriculture requesting him to expedite the work of bringing a ZAO in Mormugao taluka. Club members wrote that farmers face problems due to absence of ZAO in the taluka and hence they have to go Margao.
