GOA BUDGET 2012-13, hope for agriculture

A new wave of hope has filled the air, the farmer is excited that his hard work has finally found favour with the C.M of the masses. Mr. Manohar  Parrikar has promised to frame a new Agricultural policy , so that critical issues like land use, production, management, and employment generation. 

The support price for paddy will be raised from Rs 7 per kilogram of paddy to Rs 17 per kilogram. The money will be paid by the government directly into the farmers’ bank accounts. This should bring larger areas under paddy cultivation. “My aim,” says Parrikar, “is to see that Goa becomes self sufficient in basic food items.”

Cashew nuts Rs 90 per kg, arecanut rs 170 per kg

Cashew plantations will benefit by the new support price of Rs 90 per kg of cashew nuts. Cooperative societies will be encouraged to be set up. Kullaghars are a unique symbol of Goa’s agrarian society. These are slowly vanishing. Arecanut plantations form a different ecosystem with intercrops like spices, bananas, vegetables, etc. which are unique to our state. To protect this ecosystem, and to make it an economically viable proposition and assured support price of Rs 170 per kg as against an assured price of Rs 100 per kg at present.

Coconuts Rs 8 per pc, sugarcane Rs 2400 per ton

Coconut farmers will celebrate with a new support price of Rs 8 per coconut. Locally grown fruit and veggies will be given a fixed support price. It will be sold at designated outlets for a fixed rate regardless of whether the market price rises or falls. Sugarcane gets a support price of Rs 500 per ton to assure of sugarcane growth in the state. Now the government will guarantee a support price of Rs 2400 per ton of sugarcane sold by the farmer to the Sanjeevani Sugar Factory in Goa from February 2012. Due to the high cost of inputs, an advance payment of Rs 1000 per ton will be paid to the farmer in September 2012 provided the farmer is a regular supplier of sugarcane to the Sanjeevani Sugar Factory cooperative. 

Cash crop centric subsidies

Other local cash crops like cashew, coconut, etc will get a subsidy for cultivation to the extent of 75% of the cost of cultivation. Other subsidies from various Government of India schemes will be adjusted within this 75% subsidy. Groundnut cultivation will get a 100 percent subsidy for the cost of the seed. Rs 40 crore will be kept aside for these measures.