PANAJI
Be prepared to buy locally grown vegetables such as beetroot, carrot, tomato, cabbage and onion in the State.
As part of the Swayampurna Goa and in a bid to reduce dependency on the vegetable hubs of Belagavi and Kolhapur, the agriculture department has stepped up efforts to get popular vegetables cultivated on commercial scale in the State.
“We are promoting commercial farming in the talukas of Dharbandora, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. Farmers are involved in the commercial cultivation of tomatoes, cabbage, beetroot, carrots and onions,” said Chandrahas Desai, Project Director of Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) in South Goa.
“We are conducting a demonstration on tomato cultivation in Salcete,” added Desai.
Around 60 farmers who have at least 1 acre of land are being given demonstration, training and provided with seeds and other facilities under the ATMA programme.
Desai said farmers can sell these vegetables directly to the horticulture, which would earn them a good profit.
“Earlier, one a few vegetables such as tambdi bhaji, brinjals and chillies were cultivated on commercial scale in Goa. Now, more varieties of vegetables will be added to this list.”
“So far, Goa has been relying on vegetables mainly from Belagavi and Kolhapur. But with this local initiative, Goa can become Swayampurna (self-sufficient) in the production of vegetables,” said Dessai.
Dessai said studies have revealed that cultivation in the last week of October or the first week of November yields good produce as a cool climate is favourable for cultivation of vegetables.
Anish Velip, president of Maahalaxmi Self Help group at Morpirla-Quepem, said they had successfully cultivated cabbages last year. “This year, we hope to cultivate it on a much larger scale,” said Velip.
