MARGAO: The zonal agriculture office Margao, which has Salcete and Mormugao talukas under its jurisdiction, has achieved the distinction of issuing the highest number of krishi cards to farmers – 5,900.
The Margao sub-office of the agriculture department also has the maximum gross cultivable area (kharif and rabi crop combined) under its jurisdiction, totalling 20,004 ha, out of which 19,000 ha lie in Salcete and the rest in Mormugao.
Shariff Furtado who heads the zonal agriculture office (ZAO) Margao told TOI that considering the new-found interest among the new generation to take up agriculture, the current rabi season could witness increased agricultural activities in both Salcete and Mormugao talukas.
“An additional 40,000 ha of paddy fields can be brought under cultivation out of which 20,000 ha of can be developed into systematic cultivation,” Furtado said.
Significantly, among those who have applied for krishi cards this year are a large number of seamen who returned to Goa following the lockdown earlier this year.
“Since the lockdown, more and more people have been registering for krishi cards. On an average, at least four people come in for enquiry every day, out of which at least half of them are youths who have worked on ships,” Furtado said, adding that the seamen-turned farmers have shown particular interest in vegetable cultivation and integrated farming.
Since May alone, around 300 krishi card applications have been registered, it was informed.
Furtado said that with vegetable cultivation in Salcete and Mormugao talukas also likely to witness an upward trend, the twin talukas were “on the way to becoming atmanirbhar and self-sufficient.”
“Nearly 15 kg of various types of vegetable seeds such as lady finger, red amaranthus, brinjal, bottle gourd, cluster beans, French beans and sweet corn have been supplied to farmers at 50% subsidy. Besides, two farmers from Salcete, Gregorio Fernandes from Verna, and Lawrence Barreto from Curtorim, will together supply 3,500 kg cowpea seeds to the agriculture department which will be made available to farmers across the state at 50 percent subsidy,” Furtado said.