With the changing demographics and climatic conditions, farming also needs to undergo a sea change. In this backdrop, Goan farmers strongly feel that mere announcements by the government is not enough to protect and promote agriculture in the state, and hence there is an urgent need for a policy that has a vision for the next 50 years. MARCOS GONSALVES does a reality check on the status of farming and finds out the farmers are keen on implementing the recommendations made by the draft agriculture policy prepared a decade ago, to make the farming sector economically viable and robust enough to withstand the test of time