MARGAO
In a bid to revive Goa’s agrarian economy and lay the ground for organic farming, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai has come out with an initiative on how to get school students get their hands dirty as he has earmarked a plot of land for farming behind his backyard where the latter could learn about agriculture.
Beginning with the school students across Fatorda, the minister has drawn up a plan on how to incentivize the primary schools with marks for participating in the exercise. He said if the initiative turns out successful, the same could be replicated in others parts of the State.
The Agriculture Minister has taken up the initiative of organic farming on land admeasuring one acre behind his bungalow at Davondem. “A portion of the land will be earmarked for the primary school students to get their hands in the soil. This will be like a demonstration centre for organic farming. We plan to grow vegetable, pulses, baby corn and keep one plot for the school students. Though it would be voluntary, I expect the schools to cooperate and help the students at the primary level to gain exposure to agriculture. They can reap the fruits of their work from the land,” he said.
To a question, Sardesai said the entire land has been provided with drip irrigation sprinklers to host an organic cluster. “Organic micro-nutrients, organic fertilizers and insecticides will be the organic inputs used in the land for farming,” he added.
Saying that the department will write to the schools in Fatorda to send their primary students to the farm, Sardesai hoped that such initiatives will help revive the agrarian economy which Goa was well known for in the past.
