PANAJI: After mining came to a grinding halt in Dharbandora, Varad Samant did not lose hope but turned to Mother Earth to get him out of a tight spot. Today his locally-grown cabbage has been accepted by the Goa State Horticulture Corporation Limited (GSHCL) which will market his produce at outlets across the state.
Samant has been able to successfully harvest vegetables at his farm. “The farm is surrounded by a mining area. The land was cultivable even then, but we couldn’t access the farm due to movement of mining trucks. After the closure of mining in 2012, my family decided to take up cultivation of the land on a large scale, full-time,” Samant told TOI.
Samant’s father started with sugarcane farming in 2012 but that did not take off. In 2015, he ventured into growing lady’s finger and other vegetables which turned out a success. “In November 2019, we decided to try out cabbage and that crop grew very well,” he said.
With this Samant is able to mass produce the crop and harvest about five-six tonne of cabbage per day. “His expected yield is 60 tonne this season,” said GSHCL managing director Sandeep Faldesai, adding, “While Goa sources most of its vegetables from neighbouring states, receiving an assured price may potentially motivate local farmers to take up agriculture.”
“If local farmers mass produce vegetables like these, Goa can become self-sufficient in items that are feasible for cultivation in Goa,” he said. Samant also planted carrot and chilli among other vegetables at his farm. There is a constant check on the growth of these crops, use of organic pesticide and fencing of the perimeter to ensure that there is a healthy produce.
“We have taken the responsibility to ensure that Samant doesn’t face any issues with marketing. He has the full support from the corporation to grow the indigenous variants of cabbage,” Faldesai said.
Samant has been able to successfully harvest vegetables at his farm. “The farm is surrounded by a mining area. The land was cultivable even then, but we couldn’t access the farm due to movement of mining trucks. After the closure of mining in 2012, my family decided to take up cultivation of the land on a large scale, full-time,” Samant told TOI.
Samant’s father started with sugarcane farming in 2012 but that did not take off. In 2015, he ventured into growing lady’s finger and other vegetables which turned out a success. “In November 2019, we decided to try out cabbage and that crop grew very well,” he said.
With this Samant is able to mass produce the crop and harvest about five-six tonne of cabbage per day. “His expected yield is 60 tonne this season,” said GSHCL managing director Sandeep Faldesai, adding, “While Goa sources most of its vegetables from neighbouring states, receiving an assured price may potentially motivate local farmers to take up agriculture.”
“If local farmers mass produce vegetables like these, Goa can become self-sufficient in items that are feasible for cultivation in Goa,” he said. Samant also planted carrot and chilli among other vegetables at his farm. There is a constant check on the growth of these crops, use of organic pesticide and fencing of the perimeter to ensure that there is a healthy produce.
“We have taken the responsibility to ensure that Samant doesn’t face any issues with marketing. He has the full support from the corporation to grow the indigenous variants of cabbage,” Faldesai said.
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