PANAJI
The spurt in farming post the disruption of the economy due to the Covid pandemic in Goa has reflected positively on the State’s net paddy/rice production with government data showing a significant spike since 2021.
According to Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, rice production in the State increased by 9,462 MT in 2023-24 over the figure of the previous year 2022-23.
But even as the aggregate paddy or rice production has grown, the three talukas of Tiswadi, Sattari and Dharbandora, have seen their output of paddy decline.
Nak furnished this information to the Goa Legislative Assembly in reply to an unstarred question tabled by Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas.
In the previous year (2022-23), the aggregate production of rice in North Goa was 57,712 metric tonnes. It increased by 2,399 MT to 60,111 MT in 2023-24.
In South Goa, 74,882 MT of rice was produced in 2022-23. The same in 2023-24, increased by 7,063 metric tons to 81,945 metric tons, according to the data presented by the Agriculture Minister..
Meanwhile, taluka-wise, Tiswadi, Sattari and Dharbandora talukas have recorded a decline in rice production in 2023-24 in comparison to the previous year.
Bardez produced 17,431 metric tonnes in 2022-23 which increased by 611 metric tonnes to 18,042 metric tonnes in 2023-24. Pernem registered an increase of 2,116 metric tonnes, Bicholim 978, Ponda 162 and Sanguem 687 metric tonnes. Sanguem reported an increase of 4,660 tonnes of paddy production while in Quepem it rose by 967 tonnes.
