PANAJI
The agriculture landscape of Sattari promises to be dotted with different shades of yellow, orange and red this kharif season as more farmers there are getting attracted to the lure of fiscal benefits from cultivating marigold flowers instead of the usual paddy.
Agriculture officials who are hand-holding a set of dozen-plus farmers across the taluka expect an exponential jump in the coverage of marigold cultivation in the taluka and have already placed orders for up to forty thousand seedlings.
Marigold is planted to time the harvest with the Dusshera and Diwali festivals when the flowers are in high demand and fetch a good price.
According to Vishwanath Gawas, who is zonal agriculture officer (ZAO), Valpoi, the farmers are provided with the seedlings and other planting material at subsidised rates through ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency).
“The seedlings are imported from Maharashtra and we have already placed the order for 35 to 40 thousand,” Gawas said, adding that the budgeting is accommodated through the National Horticulture Mission (NHM).
Prashant Rane of Keri-Sattari, Taramti Malsure of Thane-Sattari and Jairam Mhalsekar of Honda-Sattari all own fields of about a quarter acre. They are part of the group of farmers from across the taluka who will cultivate marigold and not paddy this season, planting between 1,200 and 1,500 seedlings.
Marigold cultivation began picking up in Sattari some five years ago, with farmers attracted by the government subsidies and the lucre of the demand for fresh, locally grown marigolds.
Barring the hiccup in 2022, when farmers faced losses due to crops damaged owing in part to poor quality seedlings but largely due to excessive rains, marigold cultivation has thrived in Sattari with coverage steadily rising.
This year, meanwhile, both farmers and the agriculture officials grooming them are bullish on the prospects of a boom in Sattari through marigold blooms unless the weather gods play dirty.
