Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Aug 2: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the Goa government has introduced agriculture-based subjects at school and college levels to encourage youth to take up farming, amid a growing shortage of vegetables in the state.

Addressing the Assembly, Sawant said a subject in agriculture has been introduced from Class VIII to XII and a new agriculture college has been set up. "Even students are now taking to the fields," he added. The state currently faces a 20-tonne daily shortfall in vegetable supply.

However, opposition MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco raised concerns over the plan’s effectiveness, questioning whether merely introducing a subject would inspire youth to pursue agriculture. “Youth want profit. Parents won’t let children work in fields unless farming is viable. Unless you increase subsidies and support prices, the youth won’t be attracted,” he said.

Lourenco also demanded an increase in the purchase price for agricultural produce, warning that farmers may abandon cultivation otherwise. In response, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik assured that the government would review and revise prices based on market trends.

Naik also said many youngsters are enrolling for training at the agriculture centre in Margao. “They’ve realised the importance of preserving ancestral land and are coming forward,” he noted.

Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral asked whether the government had set any concrete targets for production. Naik responded that agriculture officers have been assigned targets and are incentivised based on performance.

Meanwhile, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai questioned the reliability of the government’s data, claiming the 20-tonne vegetable shortfall may not be accurate.