PANAJI
Fields of yellow and orange marigolds are brightening parts of Goa ahead of Dussehra, reflecting the Agriculture Department’s push to expand cultivation across the State.
In early August, the department distributed over one lakh hybrid marigold seedlings to around 300 farmers in Sattari alone as part of a wider drive to boost local production for the festive season.
Farmers received the popular Tennis Ball and Ashtaganda varieties, along with technical guidance on cultivation, pest management and harvesting.
Agriculture Director Chandrahas Dessai said the initiative was paying off, with nearly five lakh locally raised saplings distributed this season and cultivation expanding to around 100 hectares from Pernem to Sanguem.
Harvesting has begun in several areas, with flowers already reaching local markets ahead of the festive rush.
Dessai said local growers were expected to meet a substantial share of the demand for Dussehra and Diwali, though the crop had faced challenges from an erratic monsoon, including prolonged dry spells and uneven rainfall.
“In some areas, growers were forced to irrigate their fields frequently to sustain flowering. Moisture stress also affected crop growth in isolated pockets, but overall damage was limited,” a field official said.
Flower sellers in Panaji said locally grown marigolds were gaining favour for their freshness and longer shelf life.
For many growers, the blooming fields offer a promising alternative source of income, signalling that floriculture, particularly marigold cultivation, is steadily taking root in Goa.
