OA’S Economic Survey 2009-10 presents a woeful picture of agriculture in the state. The section on ‘Agriculture and Allied Activities’ opens with a distressful sentence, "Goa is passing through a difficult phase in agriculture."

The word ‘difficult’ sounds like an understatement, because the opening observation is followed by listing of trends that sound like the death-knell for agriculture: one, total agricultural production has remained static; two, agricultural productivity ( i.e. kg/per hectare yield) has remained static; three, the size of the total cropped area is diminishing; four, the scope for expansion of agriculture is limited; five, the sector faces acute local labour shortage; six, the younger generations of farmers are not interested in agriculture, so no addition to family labour pool is taking place; seven, hired labour from among migrants cost so much that farming is becoming unviable. The government’s answer to high cost of human labour is high subsidy for mechanisation. But will it work? No, because farmers are no longer motivated enough. They do not get good income: High perspiration, Low Inspiration.