MARGAO: Deputy chief minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar said on Sunday that processing units for Khola chilli, Barcem jaggery, and paddy will be set up in the state soon. Apart from this, he said, Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) will also be set up at each taluka.
Delivering the Independence Day address at the South Goa district collectorate, Margao, Kavlekar said that the agriculture department was in the process of setting up 500 organic farming clusters across the state with a view to providing a boost to organic farming. This, he said, will result in 10,000 ha of land under organic cultivation with nearly 13,000 farmers engaged in organic farming.
“Agriculture is turning out to be a major industry in the state and becoming the backbone of the economy. It’s the endeavour of the government to provide a boost to agriculture alongside mining, tourism and other industries for the growth of the state’s economy. Government’s every effort to attract people towards agriculture is showing good results,” the agriculture minister said.
The agriculture department provided 3,200kg of various vegetable seeds at the door steps of farmers during the pandemic, which, Kavlekar said, resulted in 36% growth in the production of vegetables in the state. He added that 40 tonnes of various types of fruits have been produced this year in the state.
“The state horticulture corporation, while procuring vegetables and fruits from the farmers, is taking care to see that the farmers will get at least 50% profit on the cost of production,” Kavlekar said. Stating that the agriculture department had also increased the support price of the various crops, he said that the government was taking every step “keeping in mind that farmers’ income will be doubled in the coming days”.
Referring to the government’s initiative of providing subsidy at source to farmers for procuring seeds, plantation, fertilizers, machines, pumps, etc, he said that no farmer will be deprived of the various agricultural schemes, subsidies and facilities.
