CANACONA
The next time a ‘padeli’ comes to your house to pluck coconuts, be prepared to find a woman and not a man.
One of the few occupations traditionally practiced by men has now attracted women takers, with six women being certified as coconut pluckers (Padeli) in Canacona.
As many as 17 women from Khola, Agonda, Poinguinim and Loliem-Polem had participated in the six-day workshop for aspiring women candidates from Canacona was organised at Gulem by Agricultural Technology Management Agency, South Goa, Zonal Agriculture Office, Canacona and District Rural Development Agency, South Goa at Gulem, Canacona.
The main purpose was to build confidence among women to harvest coconuts in their own and neighboring gardens.
At present, several farmers find it difficult to get coconuts pluckers to harvest their coconut plantations due to non availability and high rates of coconut pluckers.
Of the 17 women who underwent the six-day training, six of them could comfortably acquire skills of climbing the coconut tree and plucking coconuts, while also expressing their willingness to work as commercial coconuts pluckers.
The six women coconut pluckers (Padeli) are Suvidha Velip, Amisha Velip, (Popoidando, Khola), Vibha Mahale and Bindya Velip (Khola), Yogita Sudhir (Loliem-Polem) and Vinanti Velip (Agonda).
In the first of the training financed by DRDA in South Goa, two women trainers from Jarkhand, Ursula Kullu and Rufina Indwar, imparted training and demonstrated the skills of cleaning the crown, identifying root damages and management of rhinoceros beetle (like Bhonvor, etc). The camp was started on February 14 and concluding function was conducted on Wednesday.
Certificates were give to all participants and prizes were given to best three pluckers, Suvidha Velip, Vinanti Velip and Yogita Sudhir.
