Agragrain Reforms The much talked about the fallow rice fields of tenants to be leased in salcette are still in the process of finalisations, Accordingly the tenants will not lose their tenancy for subletting them The acute labour shortage, lifestyle changes and costs of final products makes cultivation expensive proposition The income, expenditure computation certainly do not make rice cultivation an attractive activity. Moreover the vagaries of nature are a hindrance to the cultivators in spite of insurance Unplanned and unexpected the Velips, Danghars, and other tribal s from Canacona have plunged into rice cultivation in Salcette in a big way on the tenanted fields They have thus far not laid any claims as tenants and they have no written leases either The tribal Minister must be a happy person to know about the facts, that unaided or supported by the Govt these tribals are engaged in a worthy operation adding to the output of rice in a substantial way , thus decreasing the import to some extent.The world over agriculture activity is highly subsidised. The subsidy in any form, seeds, fertilizers, harvesters, tillers must be distributed to the cultivator irrespective and without distinctions, whether one is a real tenant cultivator or otherwise The promotion is of agriculture without the emphasis on tenants or lessee The rice is also no more staple food of Goans even now a days The migrants making up a huge floating populations is not addicted to rice consumption, but vegetables. The rising costs of vegetable are mostly due to the consumption patterns of migrants Nevertheless the huge subsidies in agriculture are cornered by farmers, the rich politicians, for whom it becomes easy to credit as non taxable income and also to debit loses There is a need to denote agriculture as an industry to give a fillip to its growth and encouragement Govt is spending huge amounts in distributing, subsidised vegetables In stead crop rotation should also be facilitated In the past onions ,chillies,sweet potatoes, water melons, brinzals raddish were common crops in Goa Subsidies to industry and agriculture must be ballanced as it is the agriculture that feeds the people in industry Animal husbandry piggery, poultry, Pisci culture, floriculture, bee keeping can add to the income of the farmers, Facility for storage, marketing, export can go a long way to augment the income The slogan JAI KISSAN JAI jAWAN needs to be reinvented Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
