State’s draft agriculture policy proposes major land reforms

NT NETWORK

Panaji

In order to regain the past glory, the draft Agriculture Policy for Goa has proposed major land reforms and research.

The draft policy, tabled by Agriculture Minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, during the ongoing session of the state legislative assembly, focusses on agriculture research, infrastructure development, creating farmers’ bazaar, land reforms and introducing agriculture as a subject right from the primary level of education.

The draft agriculture policy proposes that land given under Agricultural Tenancy Act shall be taken back if the tiller ceases to cultivate the same. It also states that the revenue department and the directorate of panchayats shall be asked to prepare details of the agricultural lands kept fallow (current fallow and other than current fallow) and submit to the government so as to take over the same for cultivation either by leasing to interested farmers or
farmers’ clubs.

The draft policy also proposes to impose penalty for keeping agricultural land fallow. It proposes to prohibit sale of agricultural land for non-agricultural purpose and to non-farmers. It also proposes to impose prohibition on conversion of orchards and paddy fields for non-agricultural use. Lands lying idle with religious institutions like temples and churches are to be brought under cultivation as per the draft policy.

The draft policy proposes that the Agricultural Tenancy Act should be suitably amended to

bring the vast fallow lands under cultivation. Besides, it also proposes to introduce the Contract farming Act, while safeguarding the ownership rights of the original owner. Farmers having land capable of production shall not be included in BPL category.

The system of recording the name of present cultivator, area cultivated/not cultivated, crop taken and yield obtained should be recorded every year in forms I and XIV, says the draft policy.

It also suggests that the preliminaries on agriculture subject shall be incorporated in the curriculum for primary and secondary school education. As a first-hand experience, the secondary school students will be taken to the fields to demonstrate transplanting, weeding, harvesting, threshing and winnowing of paddy.

Activities such as converting household organic waste into useful organic manure and kitchen gardening could be a practical assignment for secondary school students, states the draft policy. It states that agriculture education will be introduced at primary, middle, secondary and higher secondary level by framing appropriate syllabus. The department of education, Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Directorate of Agriculture will function together to inculcate and promote agriculture education at the different levels.

The draft policy says that knowledge of agriculture is being included at the level of higher secondary education so as to create agriculture entrepreneurship. At the higher secondary level, in science stream, agriculture/horticulture subject will be introduced as an optional subject for mathematics. Such students will be given weightage to pursue higher studies leading to BSc in agriculture and horticulture.

Stating that the department of agriculture does not have a full-fledged independent research unit, the draft policy says the field trials are conducted at various farms of the department to study adaptability and performance of new varieties. However, no scientific study is undertaken.

Therefore, the draft policy suggests that the directorate of agriculture shall identify and list out all the technological problems concerning agriculture and classify on the merits of their priorities.

The problems associated with seasonal crops and requiring immediate attention and solution will be assigned to local unit of ICAR for their intervention and an immediate solution whereas problems involving perennial crops will be taken up simultaneously or at a later stage. The outcome of such a research will be tested first at department’s farms before recommending the same to the farmers, states the draft policy.

As the infrastructure available in the state is not adequate and conducive for exploring the potential of agriculture development, the draft policy has stressed on the farm service roads to facilitate conveyance of farm machinery and agricultural inputs to the remote areas besides setting up of cold storage and ripening chambers. It also states that rice mills for milling of fine rice will be set up, initially one each in North and South Goa to meet the demand, and the entrepreneurs desirous of venturing in this area will be provided financial assistance under government schemes.

The draft agriculture policy also suggests testing of soil, providing power supply and irrigation facility to the agricultural sector. It also states that special efforts should be made to propagate organic farming with the use of organic manure, bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides and the directorate of agriculture shall establish a cell to promote organic farming in order to cater to the large demand for organic food.

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