Goa govt to set up FPOs to boost agriculture produce

Panaji: The Goa government intends to set up Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to make agriculture more viable for sustainable development of the sector, says the Economic Survey Report 2019-20 tabled in the state Assembly.

Value addition is another vital area which needs focus to achieve better value for the produce, said the report tabled in the House during the Budget session last week.

“FPOs will be set up by involving like-minded cultivators, self-help groups and farmers clubs’ and proper guidance shall be imparted to them,” the report said.

The state’s priority is to make agriculture activity more viable for better cultivation economics and marketing of the produce with branding concept, it said.

“The state is working on high density plantation of commercial crops – like mango and cashew – with an aim to target export markets,” the report said.

As a policy decision, the state is now focussing on organic farming.

For this, a 10,000-hectare area will be converted into organic farming land by the formation of 500 clusters (20 hectares each) in three years covering 12,000 farmers, it said.

Steps were also being taken for mechanised farming, the report said, adding that23 unemployed youth from Goa were sent to the Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute in Madhya Pradesh for training in operations, safety and maintenance of agriculture machinery.