IARI – Innovative Farmer Award 2026 - Recognition of Smt. Pobrinha Carvalho, Divar, North Goa

    Smt. Pobrinha Carvalho, a progressive tribal woman agripreneur from Divar, North Goa, has been nominated for the prestigious IARI–Innovative Farmer Award 2026 by ICAR–Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute. She received the award during a formal ceremony of PUSA Krishi Vigyan Mela on 27^th February 2026 from the hands of Dr. R. S. Paroda, Former Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research and a distinguished Padma Shri awardee, whose leadership has significantly shaped India’s agricultural research and policy landscape. The ceremony was organized under the aegis of ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, one of India’s premier agricultural research institutions.

    Mrs. Carvalho has transformed traditional backyard pig rearing into a scientifically managed and diversified livestock enterprise through continuous technical guidance from ICAR-CCARI. After receiving training under AICRP on Pig and institutional support under the Scheduled Tribe Component (STC), she adopted scientific breeding (including Artificial Insemination), biosecurity measures, vaccination protocols, balanced feeding strategies, and hygienic management practices. From earning barely ₹30,000 annually in the initial stage, she has expanded her unit to over 85 adult pigs (including 15 breeding sows) and now generates a net annual income of approximately ₹3.5 lakh. Her integrated farming model further includes poultry, ornamental fish rearing, field crops, and conservation of the indigenous Agonda Goan pig breed.Her success story reflects technology-led livestock entrepreneurship, tribal women's empowerment, the conservation of indigenous genetic resources, and the impact of farmer-to-farmer extension in coastal Goa. The national-level recognition, conferred by a stalwart of Indian agricultural science, not only honors her individual achievement but also highlights the role of ICAR-CCARI in nurturing innovation, inclusiveness, and sustainable rural livelihoods.