Safeguarding Agriculture and Food

“Agriculture sector at national and global level is witnessing rapid changes besides facing major challenges. The food habits of the consumers are changing and the demand of agricultural commodities is on a rise And at the same time the climate is changing and the productive land is stagnated. The emerging challenges and opportunities call out for a paradigm shift in the innovation driven field of agriculture.The subsistence agriculture in the state is shifting to a high value commercial enterprise. The cultivation of high value horticulture crops is gaining importance due to the better returns, lower risk and tolerance of these crops for part time farming. Agriculture mechanization has experienced a tremendous growth over the last few years. Due to widespread modernization visible in the agriculture sector, farming communities have started employing agro equipments extensively in various domains of cultivation like tillage,sowing,irrigation, transplanting, plant protection,threshing etc.

The traditional societies have been transformed into informative societies and hence the old ways of service delivery system is being challenged. the development of innovative technologies, precision farming in agriculture emphasizes knowledge intensity, hence the agricultural paradigm in the state is being remolded to take advantage of available knowledge bank to harvest multiple goals of income generation, food and nutrition security sustainability and employment generation.

The department of agriculture not only aims at self sufficiency of the state in agriculture but we assure higher net income to our farmers through introduction of effective and efficient techniques of farming and better utility of available resources in a sustainable way. We are committed to deliver to the expectations of the agrarian population of Goa and work in the direction of not only subsistence production but for export and trade within and outside the country. Lay emphasis on value addition and agro processing for better markets and value for the hard earned fruits of the farmers. The department will continue to provide our farmers, our agro industries and our rural communities with the effective information, best services, trainings , tools and technologies developed in a way to boost rural economy, enhance the farm income and make farming industry more and more lucrative inorder to attract the young generation in this industry.

The advanced techniques of remote sensing and information communication technology will play a major role in adding value to our agriculture growth and with better design and implementation can recast existing overall appearance of challenge into opportunities in the agriculture sector. With this beginning we hope to bring about change in the extension system for the benefit of farmers with a aim to make our service system more productive, efficient transparent and moreover highly accessible which would be delivered in a simple and reliable manner to the farming community by introduction of standard and streamlined processes and with engagement of committed trained and motivated workforce.”