Staff Reporter
Panaji
In a bid to increase production of millets in the state, the directorate of agriculture on Thursday implemented from this year onwards the, Promotion of Sri Anna-Millets Cultivation in the State of Goa scheme.
The scheme is for duration of five years 2023-24 to 2027-2028. It aims to promote the cultivation of millets and enhance the area and production of the cereal. The other objectives are to bring fallow areas under millet cultivation and through optimum use of inputs such as quality seeds, fertilizers, etc. enhance productivity of the crop.
The government wants to make the cultivation of millets more economically viable. All the farmers in the state cultivating millets on own land, tenanted, leased, contract or inherited lands are eligible for the scheme which gives financial incentive of Rs 20,000 per hectare.
The incentive will be provided to farmers on pro-rata-basis with minimum area of 500 sq. mts. and maximum of 2.0 hectare. However this maximum limit will not be applicable to farmer groups.
The scheme promotes millets grown by local farmers groups, community farmers, SHGs, farmers clubs, etc. Farmers cultivating millets on land taken on verbal lease with owner or their heir are also eligible, but they are required to furnish undertaking towards arrangement done with owner or
their heir.
To avail the scheme interested farmer have to submit their application along with the documents to the zonal agriculture officer within 30 days of planting of millets. The minister of agriculture in the state is empowered to relax any or all clauses or conditions of the scheme in genuine cases.
Cultivation of millets in Goa has dropped drastically over the years and presently is grown over only 20 hectares of land. In the past millets were grown over 100 hectares of land in the state. Only two-three varieties of millets are grown in Goa viz. ragi (nachne), finger millet and also
proso millet.
The agriculture department has carried out a survey on millet growing farmers and is trying to reach out to the maximum number of farmers and persuade them to revive cultivation.
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