Panaji: Union agriculture minister welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan will interact with nearly 3,000 women, farmers and elected panchayat and municipality representatives through online and offline modes on Friday, water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar said on Wednesday. Around 300 will be present at the event to be held in Ponda and the rest will join through video conferencing, he said.Shirodkar said the state agriculture department will also launch its own vegetable brand Goa Fresh, where vegetables from certified local farmers will be made available in the markets.“Through the brand, locals will be able to buy vegetables whose origin, use of fertiliser, and quality are tracked. A network of local farmers is being created through whom the vegetables are being procured. We want to add as many local farmers as possible to this network. In Goa, we have seen that price is not an issue with consumers; they are willing to pay for quality,” said Shirodkar.He said that WRD is also constructing 100 more bandharas, taking the total number in the state to almost 500, which is being done to provide more water to increase agricultural output.Shirodkar said that the state wants to be self-sufficient in agricultural output and is now getting there.“We are almost self-sufficient in vegetable output. Horticulture corporation has purchased Rs 7 crore worth of vegetables from local growers, and some vegetables were even exported this year,” he said.More farmers and fishermen should come forward to claim subsidies from the central govt as these sectors provide ample scope for growth in income, the minister said.
