PONDA: The Minister for Cooperation, Mr Ravi Naik, on Thursday stated that youth should utilise the various government schemes from the agriculture department and involve themselves in business to gain profits and serve Goans.

He was speaking as the chief guest for the inauguration function of the SBS (S B Shirsat) cold rooms, where bananas and other fruit is ripened in chambers, at Curti, Ponda. This is perhaps the first such facility in the state.
Congratulating Mr S B Shirsat, the proprietor, for having invested a large amount of money in this cold storage at Curti, Mr Naik assured his assistance in the business. He urged Mr Shirsat and his brother, who also is a partner, to also commence ripening of other fruit simultaneously, so as to flourish the business. Mr Naik, who is also the Home Minister said that youth should work hard to gain positions and should not shy away from agricultural business.
The chairman of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation Ltd, Mr Deepak Dhavlikar said that due to the increasing demand for fruit and vegetables in the state, it has to be imported. He said that such fruit ripening cold storage is very essential in the state. He also said that it will use the required chemicals which are permissible by law and would not affect the health. “It will not be like the fruits which are available presently in the market,” he stated.
He also urged the land owners to utilise their land in cultivating the vegetables and fruit as there is increasing demand for it in the state.
The director of Agriculture, Mr Satish Tendulkar explained the process of ripening bananas with ripening agent, the Ethylene gas in the cold rooms. He also said just negligible amount of this gas was used to colour the fruits and that would not affect the health. He said “Goans have the purchasing capacity of fruit, and so, the availability factor needs to be taken
care of.”
Mr Shirsat, while speaking on the occasion said that he had ventured into the business in the state, “not to make profits, but to give something to the society.”
He said he visited countries like China, where such business was undertaken. He assured to help the small time local entrepreneurs by giving them the bananas on credit basis to carry on
the business.
Mr Orlando Rodrigues, the MD of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation, also spoke on the occasion. Mr Naguesh Naik compered the programme.