PANAJI
With the movement of the public being severly curtailed during the imposition of lockddown in the State following a surge in cases of Covid-19 infections, the locals in Goa seriouly got into one activity that's yielding the fruits of labour --- farming.
Post lockdown, Goa is now seeing an increase in local vegetable production. From the start of 2021 till date in the three months, the Goa Horticulture Development Corporation has been receiving 10 percent additional local vegetable produced on Goan soil.
Previously the corporation used to get 3-4 tonnes of local vegetables, however, it is now receiving 10 to 12 tonnes of vegetables. Looking at the present scenario the quantum of vegetable production is likely to increase in the near future, informed the Managing Director of Goa Horticulture Corporation Sandip Faldesai.
During the initial days of the lockdown, the intake of vegetables from Belgaum, Kolhapur and other places had stopped making Goans feel the brunt of price rice.
Learning a bitter lesson from a crisis like this, many Goan youth and farmers took to farming seriously. The farmers have started supplying vegetables to the horticulture corporation. The horticulture corporation is giving good rates to farmers and due to this the farmers have continued with the production of vegetables as they seem to be making good money.
Famers are producing vegetables like cabbage, ladyfinger, mirchi.
The horticulture corporation has appealed to the farmers to produce vegetables that are in demand. Since last few months the farmers are producing vegetables which are in demand and earning good income also. This has led to increase in the production of local vegetables, said Horticulture corporation Chairman Pravin Zantye.
Zantye said that the corporation is trying to encourage community farming to bring in the cultivation big fallow lands. If we succeed in this, Goa will be self-sustained in vegetable production, said Zantye.
Meanwhile, Sandip Faldesai said the prices of onion are likely to stabilise soon.
