the goan I network
PANAJI
Speaking during the budget speech, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “I aim to achieve 6 per cent growth in the agricultural sector thereby making Goa completely self-sustainable and non- dependable in respect of food grains, milk, vegetables and all other agricultural products.”
Additionally, for making agriculture commercially viable and doubling the income of the farmers by 2022, the State Government intends revolutionising agricultural sector with an emphasis on horticultural crops like coconut, arecanut, mango, cashew and spices. Additionally, plans have also been announced to encourage floriculture and vegetable farming.
“This would give better yield and higher income per acre for the land owned by the farmer,” stated the Chief Minister.
However, pointing out that mango has tremendous potential and scope for commercial cultivation in the State, Parrikar has announced to introduce a scheme during the forthcoming financial year for taking up commercial cultivation of the fruit in a most scientific manner, especially on cultivable fallow land and also rocky areas by adopting modern techniques.
Stating that sugarcane cultivation by adopting modified Sustainable Sugarcane Initiatives (SSI) has proved to enhance production and productivity by maintaining requisite plant population in the field, the State Government has proposed to implement modified SSI for new cultivation of sugarcane in an area of 100 hactares during 2017-18. A provision of subsidy of `10,000 per hectare has been made for the same.
The budget also proposes to enhance the assured price for sugarcane to `3,000 per tonne from `2500 per tonne being paid currently.
The State Government has provided total budgetary outlay of `17218.79 lakh for Agriculture Department with a provision of `1,806 lakh for crop subsidy, `1,876 lakh for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, with additional capital outlay of ` 2,000 lakh, `577.60 lakh for horticulture development, `1500 lakh for support price, `100 lakh for Sheti Samrudhi Yojana
and `700 lakh for soil and water conservation.
