From: Eric Pinto [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tourism is a notoriously fickle industry. Instead if we were to concentrate
more on value addition to our
agriculture produce, the economy and people would benefit tremendously .
Cocum juice, if marketed wisely, has tremendous scope .
Goa's agricultural base has eroded because we have taken to the service
sector where returns
are higher and our hands are not soiled.Our fields rmain fallow and eyed
by real estate lobbies.
Perhaps we should opt for mechanisation where a machine could till, sow and
also reap. I know the land holdings are small, but if the Agriculture Dept
could hire out such a machine , I am sure it would
boost our agricultural produce. What say, Miguel ?
Eric Pinto
...
Contribution of agriculture to GDP in Goa has dropped from 70 % in 1961 to
about 16% in 2001. the figures are approximates but reflect the great drop
in value of farm produce vis-a-vis services like hospitality,travel,etc. the
industrial estates also chip in their share.
At the Western ghats Kokum foundation our efforts are to have the humble
sol'lam overtake the mango in commercial importance in the next ten years.
Kokum syrup, kokum wine and Goa butter[ bindnell] have tremendous as yet
untapped potential. things are changingrapidly.
Agriculture Dept does hire out tractors, tillers and harvesters. these
services are being increasingly privatised as is the sale of seeds and
pesticides. The Goan farmer is coming of age. The Agriculture Officers will
soon need to change gears and promote innovation in the farm sector. It
would be nice if the Goa Horticulture Corporation was entrusted to young
professionals instead of old politicians. Fortunately there is a young
agriculture graduate in the Goa civil Service who can do to the GSHCL what
Sanjit Rodrigues has done to the Panjim Municipality /CCP. Unfortunately,
Rane has shunted him to the Directorate of Technical Education, a posting
that he know very little. there are good officers in the Agri Dept. , too,
but they are way down in the pecking order to head a corporation, unless
they are willing to step out of the crease and play a master stroke like
Sachin Tendulkaror Sanjit Rodrigues or Nikhil Desai. Little risked,
little gained. That is the basic of entrepreneurship. A frog in the well
cannot even see the ocean!
Viva goa.
Miguel
