Panaji, Aug 1 (PTI) Despite total vegetable production of over 1.10 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, Goa continues to rely on procurement from outside to meet the demand, the state assembly was informed on Friday.
There is a gap of 20,639 metric tonnes between local vegetable procurement and imports made by Goa State Horticulture Corporation Ltd (GSHCL), state agriculture minister Ravi Naik said in a written reply to a question by Independent MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
“Total vegetable production in Goa during 2024-25 is 1,10,880 tonnes. The total area under vegetable cultivation is 8,863 hectares. The gap between the quantity of local vegetables procured and the vegetables imported by Goa State Horticulture Corporation Ltd. (GSHCL) is 20,639 metric tonnes,” he said.
The GSHCL, which is the state’s nodal agency for vegetable procurement and distribution, primarily sources vegetables from Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) that import large quantities from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra.
“The major vegetables cultivated in Goa include bitter gourd, okra, bottle gourd, brinjal, cucumber, pumpkin, chilli, cluster bean, radish, palak, methi, red amaranthus, snake gourd, muskmelon, French beans etc. To reduce dependency on imports and boost local production, the agriculture department has implemented many schemes under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH),” he said.
Under this centrally-sponsored initiative, farmers receive assistance of up to Rs 24,000 per hectare for hybrid vegetable cultivation, along with subsidies for plastic mulching, support systems, and high-quality seeds, Naik said.
“The government is also offering 50 per cent subsidy on vegetable seeds and 75 per cent subsidy at source on the purchase of vegetable seedlings. Additional support is provided for fertilizers, biopesticides, polyhouses, shade nets and irrigation infrastructure to promote commercial-scale cultivation and increase farmers’ incomes,” the minister said in the assembly.
In a bid to ensure better returns for farmers, the government has announced that vegetables cultivated locally will be procured at 150 per cent of the average cost of production, he added. PTI RPS BNM
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