One day Workshop cum Training Programme on

“Floriculture: An attractive prospect for revenue generation in Goa”

Proceedings:

           In the inaugural function, Dr.N.P.Singh, Director, ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Old Goa presided over the function. Mr. Satish Tendulkar, Director of the Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Goa and Mr. A. Sandilya, Regional Manager NABARD were the special invitees for the function. Dr.M.Thangam, Senior Scientist (Hort.) and Organizing secretary of one day training programme on floriculture and Dr. Anjali Parasnis, Head, Western Region, TERI, Mumbai and Co-ordinator of Krish Dhan-2011 were present on the Dias. Dr. Anjali Parasnis welcomed the gathering and Dr.V.Arunachalam, Principal Scientist (Hort.) proposed the vote of thanks.

          Director, ICAR in his inaugural address emphasized the need for setting of hi-tech floriculture by availing subsidies from the state and central schemes. He also promised that ICAR, Goa centre will extend full technical support for the interested farmers in this regard.

         Mr. Satish Tendulkar, Director of agriculture explained the different schemes given by the government. He also explained the potential of different cut flowers and loose flowers suitable for Goa climate. Mr. Sandilya of NABARD briefed the participants about the different financial options for farmers with respect to technology transfer, training and other floriculture activities.     

 Later, technical sessions on different aspects of floriculture were conducted by the experts as follows

 1.  Floriculture a blooming entrepreneurship- An overview

Speaker:  Dr. N.P. Singh, Director, ICAR, Goa

 2. Scope of cut flowers production under protected structures-A review

Speaker: Dr.M.Thangam, Senior Scientist (Hort.), ICAR, Goa

3. Prospects of cut flower production under open field condition -A profitable venture

Speaker:  Dr. V. Arunachalam, Principal Scientist (Hort.), ICAR, Goa

 4. Opportunities and schemes available to take up floriculture in Goa.

Speaker: Mr. Olavia Fernandes, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Goa

        There was plenary session after the technical sessions, during which, there was interaction among various stakeholders present in the training. The panel discussion comprising of DR.N.P.Singh, Director, ICAR, Old Goa, Dr. Anjali Parasnis, Head, Western Region, TERI, Mumbai, Dr.V.Arunachalam, Principal Scientist (Hort.), ICAR, Old Goa, Mr.C.K.Mathew, Horticulture Consultant and Mr. Rock, M/s Liz Florist, Madgaon were present on the dias.   

The salient outcome of the discussion is presented below

Needs and expectation of the participants:

•  Request the concerned department for setting up centralized procurement facility especially for high value crops like flowers in Goa

•  Request to change the subsidy procedure especially when the land is not on the name of the beneficiary

•  Possibility of announcing support price for the flower crops as in cereals and plantation crops instead of subsidy to the specific group of farmers who don’t have the land on their own.

•  Farmers friendly land reforms like contract farming, tenancy issues and providing government support for the progressive and interested farmers were suggested

•  Requesting the department and ICAR for intensive training and demonstration facility for the benefit of needy farmers

The recommendations will be forwarded to the policy makers for further action. Then participants were taken to the floriculture units under protected as well as open field condition and the technologies developed by ICAR Research Complex for Goa were shown and explained to them.

        The function ended with vote of thanks to the sponsors viz., NABARD and Department of Agriculture, Goa and electronic and media people for their coverage.