Stakeholders at ICAR meet strategise to save khazans, practise sustainable agri

Panaji: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Goa, brought together farmers, scientists, and policymakers at its Merces experimental farm for a high-impact dialogue on the future of khazan lands — Goa’s centuries-old coastal saline ecosystems.
The interaction aimed to address key issues faced by farmers, including challenges in fodder cultivation, the promotion of multispecies finfish culture, and cost-reduction strategies. A roadmap for scaling up fodder cultivation was also discussed.
The event drew several farmers. A forward-looking plan for enhancing sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural production in these ecologically sensitive lands was also deliberated upon.
The programme was conducted under two projects funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. One is ‘Land Shaping Methods and Integrated Farming Systems Approach for Improving Livelihood Security of Farmers under Khazan Lands of Goa’.
The other project is ‘Evaluating the Performance of Multispecies Finfish Culture in Small Low-Cost Ponds for Improving the Livelihood of Farmers in the Salt-Affected Coastal Saline Region of Goa’.
The projects are implemented by ICAR-Goa in collaboration with the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the state directorate of agriculture.