Panaji: Two persons from totally
different streams have been instrumental in reviving barren
paddy fields of a village through contract farming.
Father Patric D'Souza and international model Tinu
Verghis came together two years back to herald contract
farming for the first time in Goa at Pillar, a village on the
city's outskirts.
"It started almost two years back and now I am getting
good response from the paddy field owners who are not able to
cultivate their land," said D'Souza, a priest from the Society
of Pillar, a wing of the Catholic Church.
The society's Nature Farm wing has taken up the task
of executing contract farming at fallow lands in and around
the village.
Mumbai-based Verghis, who has walked the ramp for many
top brands, was the first one to offer her paddy field,
ad-measuring around 6,000 sq mts, for the innovative farm
arrangement between two parties.
Since then D'Souza has received several other offers,
mostly from Goans who are abroad and do not want their land to
be left uncultivated.
However, there is no monetary transaction involved in
the exercise and the Society of Pillar uses the produce to
feed students and orphans at institutions run by it, D'Souza
said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 16:04