Under the Goa State Amritkal Agricultural Policy 2025, announced by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, Goa’s long-dormant farmlands are slowly coming back to life. Community farming has revived 345.37 hectares of fallow land in three years, with Rs 2.46 crore provided as assistance. In 2023-24, 26 groups cultivated 136.56 hectares, followed by another 135.76 hectares the next year.
The policy promotes cooperative farming by bringing fragmented landholdings together and enabling farmers to share machinery, compost units and irrigation facilities. Financial assistance is transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
For Goenkars who depend on vegetables brought from Belagavi, the return of local seasonal produce offers relief and could reduce dependence on outside supplies. Agriculture is gradually being restored through a farmer-focused approach, helping move Goa from fallow fields towards greater agricultural self-reliance.
Vaman Sankhalker, Sanquelim
