Will the government agricultural farm at Durga in Chinchinim village finally see a turnaround decades after the fields were acquired by the Goa government post-Liberation?
Locals say the farm was visited in the recent past by former Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane, and a host of agriculture ministers, including Vijai Sardesai and others with the avowed objective to revive the Durga farm, but in vain.
The farm spread over 30 hectares has been in the news around four years ago when the Agriculture Department revived the fallow fields for cultivation before apathy and indifference by department officials left the fields in a state of neglect.
At a time when Chinchinim village is witnessing a green revolution of sorts with decades old fallow fields being brought under cultivation by farmers, villages along with the Chinchinim Panchayat members and the local Velim MLA Cruz Silva have got officials of the Agriculture Department to revive the fallow fields at the Durga farm.
A joint inspection of the Durga farm led by acting coordination of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra Shivram Gaonkar along with MLA Cruz, Chinchinim Sarpanch Valentino Barretto, Durga panchayat ward member Gerson Gomes, panchayat members and citizens have decided to revive agriculture at the Durga farm in a big way in the rabi season. Around 20,000 square metres of fallow fields at the farm will be taken up for cultivation in the rabi season.
The Velim MLA and the panchayat members have made a plea to the KVK Coordinator Gaonkar to get the villagers on board to cultivate the balance fields if the department is handicapped to bring the entire farm under paddy cultivation.
A request was also made to the KVK Coordinator to accord priority to the local self help groups in the farming activity at the Durga farm. In fact, a proposal was made to Gaonkar to allot land admeasuring 1000 square metres to the local farmers to grow vegetables in small plots, which will help meet the vegetable requirements of the village.
Durga ward member Gerson Gomes said the people had made the Agriculture Department to revive farming around 2019. “No doubt, the department brought around 6000 square metres of fallow land under cultivation. The area under farming then gradually came down to 4000 square metres and around 3000 square metres last year. We have told the officials that the people are ready to cultivate the fields if the government cannot,” he said. Gerson drew attention of the officials that the three wooden sluice gates, which have remained unattended giving rise to entry of saline water in the fields.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva echoed similar sentiments. After raising the issue in the Goa Legislative Assembly, Cruz pointed out that the government farm at Durga cannot remain fallow when villagers have put their efforts to make Chinchinim a model agriculture village with the support of farmers clubs and comunidade Attorney Agnelo Furtado.
Shivram Gaonkar later told the media that around 20,000 square metres of fallow fields will be taken up in the rabi season. He said the department will take views of the local MLA, panchayat members and the villagers in order to revive farming at Durga. “We have decided to take up farming on land admeasuring 20,000 square metres this rabi season. Gradually, additional area will be brought under cultivation,” he said.
Plans to set up coconut, fruit processing unit
MARGAO: The government Durga farm in Chinchinim village may play host to a coconut and other fruit processing unit on land admeasuring under the one district one produce concept in the next one year.
The farm may also play host to production of saline resistant Goa Dhan seeding, which will be distributed to farmers cultivating khazan land, right from Canacona to Bicholim, besides Raia and other areas.
The land admeasuring 12,000 square metres at the farm will also be used to set up a coconut nursery, wherein it is proposed to raise around 40,000 coconut plantations for distribution to the people of Goa South.
South Goa Krishi Vigyan Kendra acting Coordination Shivram Gaonkar told the media after an inspection of the Durga farm that the coconut processing unit will be set up at the farm after inviting bids from prospective parties. “The project was tendered, but there were not many takers. Hence, it will be tendered again. We hope to complete the process in the next four months,” he said.
Explaining the concept, Gaonkar informed that the unit, once set up, will help farmers to get the produce whether coconut, jackfruit for processing and add value to the produce. “Since jackfruit is not being sold in large numbers, the farmers can get the fruit to the unit for processing and add value. Similar is the case with coconut and other fruits,” he added.
He said the Durga farm will be used to produce saline resistant Goa Dhan paddy seed for distribution to the farmers across the State. “These are high quality seeds. Once produced here, they will be distributed to the farmers at 50 per cent subsidised rates,” he added.
