PANAJI
At a time when the world has paused due to the pandemic and many have lost jobs, Shweta Gaonkar, a young get-going sportswoman from Goa has accepted a job that usually is a man’s bastion. Although her post is that of a technical administrative in-charge at a farm in South Goa, this BSc (Agri) graduate actually boasts to be the first woman toddy tapper in Goa who climbs 40-50 coconut trees in a day, albeit with the help of a climbing machine.
Making her parents proud, 24-year-old Shweta goes a step ahead to train men and women in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra in climbing a coconut tree, doing harvesting of the nuts and toddy tapping. For her extraordinary feats Shweta was felicitated by NABARD as the 9th best and most inspiring youngest women of Goa.
Shweta also trains farmers in hybrid technology, and spraying of the tree, if it is infested. She points out, “Toddy tapping is lucrative even if one sticks only to 10 coconut trees. It can offer a guaranteed annual income of Rs 3-3.5 lakh. Coconut harvesting also yields good remuneration. One tree fetches Rs 100. At a time one can climb minimum 40 and maximum 60 trees in a day, depending upon the stamina of that climber. For harvesting one or two trees, the rate is higher (Rs 150) compared to a farm where a cluster of trees exist.”
Apart from doing the job at Krishna farm in Kevona and spending only weekends at home in Sanguem, Shweta’s schedule is tight, offering inspirational talks, demonstrations to farmers through the Department of Agriculture. So far, she has trained 100 plus persons in Goa including 60 farmers, 20 unemployed youth and 20 girls, in climbing, harvesting and toddy tapping.
The youth who learnt the art have started earning too, though, sadly, none of the girls she taught have embraced this vocation. But younger sister Harsha is following Shweta’s footsteps, and is studying at Don Bosco Agricultural College in Sulcorne.
Before lockdown, Shweta was at Bengaluru doing research in tissue culture in coconuts. “I had to return to Goa due to the coronavirus after spending eight months there. I hope to complete the research which will help us to master the technique of creating 1000 saplings out of one tissue, instead of the regular method of cultivating one sapling out of one coconut,” says Shweta advocating, “We must not feel ashamed of doing any work, or feel it’s my cup of tea. A little courage is enough to plunge into any unexplored arena.”
Proud parents Khushali and Kavita Gaonkar Shweta point out to Shweta's adventurous nature that helped her take up this challenging work. A sportsperson Shweta has left no sport untouched. Her desk at home is full of medals, trophies and certificates, at least 50 of them winning first or second place in each.
Cricket, football, tennis ball, hand ball, long jump, high jump, kho kho, kabaddi and running – she has done all of these and was in the Goa cricket team playing for the National.
At 22, when she actually tried to climb a coconut tree with the help of a machine, she was not scared of heights, or had no acrophobia. A role model for other girls of her age, Shweta is a living example of the saying where there is a will, there is a way.
