Despite Goa’s stable cultivation area, paddy production records a decline

Panaji: Paddy cultivation in Goa recorded a decline in the agricultural year 2024-25, as production dropped to 1.1 lakh tonnes — a sharp decrease of over 27,000 tonnes compared to the previous year’s record high of 1.4 lakh tonnes, according to the data shared by the directorate of agriculture.This decline comes despite a marginal increase in the area under cultivation, which stood at 32,613 hectares in 2024-25, slightly higher than the 32,477 hectares reported in 2023-24. The figures suggest that while land dedicated to paddy farming remained stable, factors affecting the yield have taken a toll on production.Experts attribute the drop in productivity to Goa recording 4,400mm of rainfall from June to Sep 2024, marking it as the highest southwest monsoon rainfall in 120 years.“Last year, the climate did not support paddy. In the kharif season, crops were submerged for 15-20 days in some areas. The impact of climate change is beyond anyone’s control,” said K K Manohara, senior scientist, plant breeding, at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.He said, “The only way forward is climate-resilient crops that can withstand incessant rainfall and submergence in low-lying areas.”The 2023-24 agricultural year saw Goa achieve its highest paddy output in five years, with 1.4 lakh tonnes produced from 32,477 hectares.This marked a growth from the Covid-19 years, where production hovered around 1.3 lakh tonnes annually.However, the dramatic fall in 2024-25 reversed this positive trend. Compared to 2019-20, when production was 1.3 lakh tonnes from 34,698 hectares, the latest figures show a 15.2% decline in production, even though the area under cultivation has only dropped by 6% over the same period.Farmers have attributed the decline to a combination of factors. “Two generations ago, the only means of survival for people in our village was farming and fishing; however, now the fields are fallow due to a lack of labour, present generations uninterested in agriculture, and non-profitability in yield,” said Anup Kudtadkar, a community farmer from Canacona.He said, “Despite the availability of mechanised transplanters of paddy seedlings and harvesters, there aren’t enough skilled workers available to execute the task. Moreover, the labour costs for post-harvest activities such as drying, sifting, and storing are very high in Goa.”Even subsidies from govt are delayed, Kudtadkar said, adding that unless there is profitability in this sector, the decline in paddy cultivation is inevitable.