PANAJI
The draft State Agriculture Policy is all set to miss its Republic Day deadline, as the government appointed committee under Minister Ravi Naik is slated to meet on January 29, to discuss and finalise the “Focus Area” reports “ the base for policy document “ submitted by the five-sub committees.
The 24-member State Level Committee, during its first meeting held in September, 2023, had announced plans to finalise the “farmer centric” Goa State Agriculture policy, with a road map for next ten years before the Republic Day, January 26, 2024. However, the committee had no meetings thereafter.
According to the sources, the five-sub committees constituted to study the Focus/Thrust Areas have submitted their reports and the same would be discussed during the meeting scheduled on January 29. “Several suggestions were received from individuals, NGOs, panchayats, farmers groups to the draft policy. We had to study all those suggestions and ideas for their incorporation in the policy,” sources said.
A total of over 850 suggestions from individuals and farmers’ groups were received in the month of July-August, last year. Also all 191 village panchayats submitted their inputs to the policy.
Based on the suggestions, the Committee had identified focused areas like agriculture and horticulture development, integrated farming, land, soil and watershed development, khazan land, fertilizer, nutrient, pesticide and pest management, agro tourism, organic and natural farming, agriculture export, storage and warehousing, climate and environment, agriculture in school curriculum and research.
When contacted, Agriculture Director Nevil Alphonso said that the committee has got a four-month extension till March 31 to submit the policy document. “Only after the January 29 meeting, we would be in a position to say when the policy draft will be ready,” he said.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and Mayem MLA Premendra Shet are the new added members in the committee.
The committee has to suggest means to develop agriculture as well as methods to protect and improve available resources like land, water, bio-diversity and genetic resources. Apart from focusing on market driven economy, the committee has to also suggest measures to involve the PPP model for new agriculture ventures.
