Panaji: Farmers are now able to not just procure vegetable seeds from agricultural officers for sowing but also can avail of germinated seedlings and grafts. The Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) has roped in self-help groups to grow subsidised seeds offered by them into seedlings prior to the monsoon for the convenience of farmers.
“This system ensures two things – the seedlings of their choice of variety are made available to farmers in time for planting and planting seedlings instead of seeds has a higher percentage of survival,” an agriculture officer said.
When directly planted, farmers usually encounter rodent attacks on the seeds. On the other hand, seedlings are already hardened and have a higher chance at survival, thus reducing losses and translating into a greater yield.
“The self-help groups mainly comprise of women having common interest in agriculture. By raising seedlings, they can get an additional source of income and sustain themselves,” the officer said.
Seedlings grown are of different varieties of lady finger, types of gourds and melons, pumpkin, coriander among others. Grafts of mangoes and fruit crops are made available at the agriculture department’s nurseries along with the planting material where they are sold at the rates already decided by the government.
Farmers can avail of the 75% subsidy on purchase of seedlings. Alternatively, there is also a 50% subsidy on purchase of seeds from the zonal agricultural offices of the department.
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