The Chicalim Youth Farmers Club (CYFC) and four individual farmers have managed to harvest 60 sacks of rice without using any fertilisers or even organic manure for the second year in a row in the fields that they revived last year.
This year, an area of about 41,000 sq mts was cultivated under CYFC community farming, which included four individual farmers Rui Manuel Costa Araujo, Manuel Fernandes, Caitano Fernandes and Caetano Barbosa, along with the members of the Chicalim Youth Farmers Club.
The total yield from all fields harvested through natural farming was 228 sacks of 25 kgs each.
“Harvest is the time when you reap what you sow. It was a moment of pride and pleasure to see our second harvest come to light. It feels amazing to see and feel the fruit of our hard work, those tiny grains of paddy just like gold. With the strong support and guidance of our mentor Fr Bolmax Pereira, we now look forward to reap a good yield of vegetables too,” said Alisha Pereira, newly appointed Treasurer of the CYFC.
Taking a new step in reaching out to young farmers, the CYFC has opened its membership to youth beyond the Chicalim Panchayat jurisdiction to entire Mormugao taluka.
The youth of Bogmalo were officially the first ones to respond to the opportunity.
Young farmers from Vasco and Sancoale have also joined in the hope of reviving agriculture in their respective areas.
Meanwhile, a new CYFC committee has been elected in the general body meet held on October 22.
The newly appointed CYFC Committee will be headed by Shogun Fernandes as its new President along with Prifa Xavier (Vice-President), Chelsea Fernandes (Secretary), Agnes Moniz (Joint Secretary), Alisha Pereira (Treasurer) and field co-ordinators Jerrico Vaz and Cosmas Colaco.
