Agriculture is one of the important economic activities in Goa. Goa has done much to improve and develop its agriculture. Rice along with fish is the staple diet of the people and it is also a principal agricultural crop. The important crops grown are paddy, ragi, maize, jowar, bajra and pulses. Cash crops like coconut, cashew-nut, arecanut, mango, jackfruit, banana, pineapple, etc are also grown in abundance.
In the absence of irrigation facilities and failure of rains, maize may be profitably harvested at any stage of its growth. At the pre-flowering stage it may be used as to fodder and at early-dough to late dough stages for green-ear, and the stover may be used to feed cattle. Maize crop grown for grain should be harvested when it reaches physiological maturity containing 25-30% moisture and ears should be removed before cutting the stalk.
Paddy is the principal crop of Goa. There are two paddy seasons, namely kharif or sorod and the rabi or vaingan. The monsoon crops are called the kharif or sorod crops and the winter crops are called rabi or vaingan crops. The main sources of irrigation for winter crops are the nallahs, rivers and streams, tanks, wells, canal, etc. Crops grown in the kharif season consist of paddy, ragi (locally called nachani) and some pulses. Crops grown in the rabi season are comprised of paddy, pulses like horse-gram (kulith), black gram (udid), a variety of beans and some vegetables.
Cashew is an important crop in Goa. An exhilarating drink called Feni is produced from cashew. It is a kind of gin or vodka.
A variety of mangoes are grown in Goa. Some of the famous Mango varieties are mancurade, mussarade, fernandine, xavier, alfonsa, colaco etc. There are two varieties of jackfruit grown here namely kapo (hard) and rasal (soft).
The kind of vegetables grown in the Goa are brinjal, lady’s fingers, radish, cucumber, pumpkins, drumsticks, breadfruit and different varieties of gourds. Sweet potatoes, chillies, onions are also available.
