PANAJI
Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai expressed his willingness to let Agaçaim village be the first to host a ‘bus bay' satellite farmers market in a bid to formalise the current system of farmers directly selling their produce along the highways.
Speaking, recently, at an event in Fr Agnelo College in Pilar at an event ‘Ground Zero' Sardesai said that his
government was all for helping rejuvenate local village economies.
"The Government is keen on establishing the proposed ‘Bus Bay' with an experimental ‘Satellite Market' on the Highway bypass through Agaçaim village which can showcase local produce and local cuisine," Sardesai said adding that he would be only too happy to help facilitate the ideas of agri-tourism as presented by the students during the event.
The Centre for Research and Excellence between Society and Technology (CREST) at Fr Agnel College, Pilar organised their ‘ideas event' Ground Zero 2017 on ‘Village Tourism - a tool to reverse migratory trends of Goans'.
The event also saw the presentation of a pilot study on the village of Agaçaim presented by Andrew Antão and Ashwin DeSouza (faculty, Fr Agnel College) based on the data collected by the students. The study focussed on agri-tourism, river-tourism, beach-tourism and cultural tourism.
Prominent political leaders of the State like Vijai Sardesai, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenço, Elvis Gomes, Alina Saldanha, Nelly Rodrigues and others were present and interacted with the students.
Local leaders including Cruz Silva, Xavier Gracias (Sarpanch - Agaçaim) and other sarpanchas of St Andre constituency were present.
