Panaji, Oct 17 (PTI) As changing environmental patterns and high labour costs make paddy cultivation more challenging for farmers in Goa, the state government has implemented several measures to promote the crop, officials have said.
Besides pristine and popular beaches, the hinterlands of the coastal state are also known for lush green paddy fields. Rice, along with fish, is a staple food of Goa.
State Director of Agriculture Sandeep Phal Desai said on Thursday that paddy is now grown on over 23,000 hectares, and 10,000-12,000 farmers are actively engaged in its cultivation.
However, climate change, rising labour costs and a few other factors pose a huge challenge to the state’s paddy growers, he said.
To encourage more farmers to cultivate the cereal, the official said, the state government has stepped in with various schemes offering subsidies and ‘Assured Minimum Price’ for the crop.
Phal Desai said Goa is the only state that provides a financial benefit of Rs 2.5 lakh per hectare under an initiative linked with community farming. He said a 50 per cent subsidy is provided for buying seeds, while Rs 15,000 per hectare has been sanctioned for removing weeds.
The government under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is also providing a 75 per cent subsidy to paddy growers for purchasing farm equipment. A 50 per cent subsidy is given on ploughing machines.
While Rs 10,000 per hectare is being offered for paddy transplanting, a 75 per cent subsidy is given for fencing the fields, he said.
Farmers from the SC and ST communities are given a 75 per cent subsidy on the purchase of inputs like fertilisers. Farmers in Goa are also being provided with an Assured Minimum Price of Rs 22 per kilogram of paddy, the official said.
Fr George Quadros, known as the ‘Paddy Man’ of Goa, told PTI that he has been working with growers to promote mechanised farming. The Christian Priest said he is striving to increase the area under paddy cultivation in the state.
The benefits being offered are encouraging farmers to continue with this traditional crop, he added. PTI RPS NR
