Panaji: Goa’s latest paddy seed variety, Goa Dhan-5, which offers improved resilience against salinity, waterlogging, and crop lodging, is likely to be released for large-scale cultivation in Kharif 2026, state Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik informed the Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a question by Independent MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Naik in a written reply said the new variety is currently in its second year of on-farm trials and has already shown promising results in demonstration plots under the Minikit Programme.
According to data furnished by Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Goa Dhan-5 was developed to build on the performance of earlier salt-tolerant varieties — Goa Dhan-1 and Dhan-2, released in 2017, and Dhan-3 and Dhan-4, released in 2019, the minister said.
Naik said that while the first four Dhan varieties are tolerant to saline conditions, Goa Dhan-5 stands out for its added resistance to waterlogging and complete or partial submergence for 10–15 days, making it suitable for Goa’s flood-prone and coastal agricultural zones.
“It also has a strong culm, which improves resistance to lodging — a common issue that affects plant stability and yield during heavy rains and wind,” the minister stated.
Naik said that the trial results indicate Goa Dhan-5 yields around six tonnes per hectare under normal conditions and four to four and half tonnes under saline conditions.
“Over 40 farmers in villages such as Amona, Chorao, Neura, Shiroda, and Cumbarzua villages in both North and south district are currently cultivating the variety as part of the ongoing demonstration phase,” he said.
The minister stated that the seed variety is expected to be formally proposed for release to the State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) in December 2025, after reviewing performance during the current Kharif season.
If cleared, seeds will be made available to farmers in time for the next planting cycle, he added.
