QRT of ICAR-CCARI visited outreach sites in tribal areas of Goa

    The First Meeting of the 5th Quinquennial Review Team (QRT) of ICAR-CCARI, Goa was held on 8-9 January 2024. The meeting was chaired by Dr M. B. Chetti, Vice Chancellor, Sanskriti University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh and attended by the QRT members, Dr. M. R. Dinesh, Former Director, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, Dr. K. K. Singh, Dean, Sankskriti University, Mathura, Dr. P. Pravin, Former ADG (Marine Fisheries), ICAR, Dr. Ashalatha K.V., Professor & Head Department of Agricultural Statistics, CoA, UAS, Dharwad, Karnataka. Dr. Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI, Goa and Dr. Gopal Mahajan, Member Secretary, QRT, and the team of ICAR-CCARI staff organized the meeting as per the guidance of Hon’ble QRT. The QRT team visited the outreach and transfer of technology (ToT) sites under scheduled tribe component (STC) in the tribal areas (Canacona, South Goa) located in the forest of the Western Ghats of the west coast region on 9 January 2024. Dr. Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI, scientists, technical and project staff participated and facilitated the visits.

    The QRT visited community farming field sites located in the forest areas of hamlets Satorlim, Ziltawadi and Badsare villages of Gandongrim panchayat, Canacona  and had interaction meetings with the farmers and farmwomen (60 numbers)  in the mud and coconut leaf roof top huts.  The QRT reviewed the impact of the interventions by one to one feedback from farmwomen and farmers. They assessed impact by comparing the productivity, income and livelihood options before and after interventions of the STC activities of ICAR-CCARI, Goa. The QRT appreciated the efforts of the ICAR-CCARI team for a meticulous approach to implement STC for the approach “from barren lands to bountiful harvest”. “Selection of beneficiary and sites through benchmark analysis to value addition and marketing of produce is a uniqueness of outreach activity visited”, QRT said. They further mentioned about the notable and significant increase in the production, productivity and livelihood options through promotion of communal harmony through community farming. The interventions on quality seed and planting materials (coconut, cashew, banana, black pepper, cinnamon, field and vegetable crops, etc.), integrated nutrient management, farm mechanization, irrigation water infrastructure, etc. and capacity building was provided to the farmers under STC. The QRT inaugurated a new pump set house (10 HP capacity) with an irrigation pipeline infrastructure at Satorlim which would cater the irrigation needs with an energy saving gravity-based irrigation. Further, QRT recommended to document the impact of the activities in the form of publications and videos for wider dissemination and sensitization of the farming community.

    The interaction meeting cum field visits were coordinated by Dr. A. R. Desai, Retired Pr. Scientist (Horticulture), ICAR-CCARI, Dr. Sujeet Desai, Dr. Dhillan Velip and Dr. Gopal Mahajan.