the goan I network
MARGAO
Telaulim village had a rich connect with agriculture before the new generation deserted the fertile agricultural land and strayed elsewhere for greener pastures.
A group of enthusiastic farmers have now joined hands to arrest the situation and bring back the lost glory and restart agricultural operations anew.
In fact, these farmers, number around 10-12 have started rabi crop after a gap of around three decades, though on a small scale, fully mechanized way. With the help of water harvested in the three village lakes, the farmers have irrigated fields admeasuring around 30,000 square metres.
In a bid to keep the stray cattle at bay and save the fields from being vandalized by cattle, the farmers are keeping a close vigil day and night, besides resorting to the practice of fencing the borders.
“Historically Telaulim has been an agricultural village, having its own (Ghaunkars) Comunidade. Thus people had a special relationship with the ground having deep roots in the soil,” says a farmer Anthony Pires.
He added: “If one glances at the landscape of the village at present times, what has been stated above seems to be an old story. The youth of today have lost their moorings which their forefathers were deeply attached to and thus deserting the fertile agricultural land”.
He said the village old and young have now come together to bring back the lost glory and restart agricultural anew.
Pires said the farmers have high hopes of a good harvest this time so that they go forward more vigorously next year and thus bring more land under cultivation, not just paddy, but other crops as well.
The farmer has thanked the MCO for helping them with agricultural machinery and for mechanizing the entire process, right from tilling to harvesting, thus doing away with the high labour costs.
The farmers also appreciated the help provided by the Water Resources department for harvesting water by closing the sluice gates of the three village lakes.
