ICAR-CCARI organised Farmer-Scientist Interface on Khazan Land Rejuvenation in Goa
ICAR-CCARI organised Farmer-Scientist Interface on Khazan Land Rejuvenation in Goa
ICAR-CCARI, Goa organized a Farmer-Scientist Interface on 12 June 2025 focused on the rejuvenation of Khazan lands—the traditional coastal saline ecosystems of Goa—for agriculture and agro-eco-tourism. The event brought together around twenty farmers actively engaged in agriculture on Khazan lands. During the interaction, farmers highlighted the urgent need for intervention to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure the effective utilization of these unique ecosystems.
Shri Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Hon'ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), stressed the importance of adopting scientific farming practices and sustainable management of Khazan lands with the technical support of ICAR-CCARI.
Shri Viresh Borkar, Hon'ble MLA (St. Andre), pointed out the challenges related to multiple ownership and administrative hurdles in managing Khazan lands, calling for coordinated efforts to address these issues.
Dr Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI, highlighted the institute’s ongoing research and development initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable coastal agriculture, with a special focus on the Khazan land ecosystem.
Shri Sandeep Dharkar, General Manager, NABARD, Goa, informed that NABARD is actively collaborating with ICAR-CCARI by extending financial support for developing scientific farming models in Khazan areas.
Shri Sandeep Faldesai, Director of Agriculture, Government of Goa, assured the farmers that the Directorate is committed to improving agricultural practices on Khazan lands and will submit appropriate recommendations to the Government to resolve existing challenges.
Dr Gopal Mahajan, Senior Scientist (Soil Science), shared that ICAR-CCARI is in the process of developing a comprehensive scientific package of practices tailored for Khazan lands, encompassing multi-cropping systems, fisheries, and agro-eco-tourism models.
Dr Sreekanth GB, Dr Gopal Mahajan, Shri Trivesh Mayekar, Dr Sujeet Desai, Scientists and Shri Rahul Kulkarni, ACTO of ICAR-CCARI co-ordinated the interface.