Government must popularise schemes to promote agriculture and draw people to it
The story of the Virdikar family in Codli-Dharbandora turning adversity into opportunity by shifting to large-scale vegetable cultivation is an inspiring story, especially for those who have cultivable land. The family, which had hitherto cultivated sugarcane, switched over to cultivating cabbage, okra, chillies, and watermelon, a risk that paid off with hard work, business acumen, and the assistance from the agriculture department and Goa State Horticultural Corporation (GSHC).
Generally, farmers are worried about marketing their produce. However, in a big relief, the government is offering to buy their entire produce. The government’s policy of ensuring assured markets for locally grown vegetables at pre-determined rates has made farming a viable alternative, according to GSHC officials. The payment is hassle-free and credited directly to the bank account within a month, according to GSHC. The Virdikar family could also achieve success because the Dharbandora zonal agriculture office supported them with a drip irrigation system, a new well, a water pump, mulching facilities, and subsidies for hybrid vegetable cultivation under the National Horticulture Mission. This proves a point: just having schemes is not enough. It is essential to have schemes that give landowners the needed push. However, on the ground, much depends on the cooperation and enthusiasm of the zonal agricultural officers and their teams to popularise the schemes and work in tandem with both existing farmers and prospective agriculturists. The government could think of giving some incentives to agriculture officers so that they get more people involved in agricultural activities. Also, the department has to change its old working style to attract more people to the sector. Does a five-day week help the agriculture sector?
This year, the corporation has procured 1,134 tonnes of vegetables at a cost of Rs 4.61 crore. Locally grown vegetables are purchased from December to April. In the remaining months, the corporation goes back to buying from outside, GSHC said. Vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, and even strawberries, which were earlier considered not well-suited to Goa, are grown in the winter.
Incidentally, the Goa State Amritkal Agriculture Policy 2025 was launched on Tuesday. The government said that the policy vision is dedicated to creating an ecosystem that supports farmer welfare, empowers the youth to engage in agriculture, minimises production costs, and promotes organic farming, among other things. It also focuses on strengthening farmer collectives, enhancing access to markets, credit and insurance, diversifying income through value addition, and agro-tourism. There is also a focus on key areas like renewable energy, startups, innovations, and the promotion of vertical farming.
Another worry for farmers is crop damage due to natural calamities. It is to be appreciated that the policy has kept this in mind. The government has committed to climate-resilient farming practices to protect agriculture in Goa from the effects of climate change.
Goa, which is 80 per cent dependent on vegetables from neighbouring states, has to aggressively push and promote agriculture. With high unemployment, the youth need to be attracted to take it up. To catch them young, children will have to be taught agri-practices in school, which, as per the policy, will be included in the school curriculums.
If the hurdles are cleared and the government works with dedicated officers offering incentives and innovation, not only could more land be brought under cultivation, but more youth and women could also be encouraged to enter agriculture—all of which will contribute to the food security of Goa.
