the goan I network
PANAJI
On World Environment Day this year (June 5), Goa will witness its first ever “Malcorada plantation drive” which will be organised by a non-profit organisation Tansform Goa. The organisation aims to encourage every Goan to plant at least one malcorada (locally called mancurad) tree, so that by the year 2035, the state will have enough mangoes to be able to export them.
Speaking to “The Goan”, John De Sa, convenor of “Transform Goa” said on Thursday, that the drive will see Transform Goa sponsor mancurad grafts to schools and religious organizations, so that people would get involved in the mass planting of mango grafts.
“As of now, Goa does not have commercial mancurad farms from where Goans can export the mango. We hope that by encouraging people to plant and nurture their grafts, we can start exporting the best mango in the world by 2035-2040,” said De Sa.
Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai has agreed to plant the first graft at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on the day, said De Sa.
De Sa, a Goan based in Qatar, said that after having tasted mangoes from all over the world, (after supermarkets like Carrefour and Lulu started importing these to Doha,) De Sa he and his colleagues have agreed that nothing compares to the mancurad mango.
When they started asking him from where they could import the mango, and he realised there wasn’t enough produce to export, the idea of a mass plantation drive dawned upon De Sa.
The organisation itself neither has, nor will graft the plants, but will recommend a few nurseries in Goa that sell high quality malcorada grafts. “We encourage Goenkars to buy grafts and plant in their property on June 5, then take photos and videos and send us. It will be a day in the history of mass planting of mancurad grafts in Goa,” said De Sa.
As the organisation does not have any sponsor as of now, they are looking for partners to buy grafts and give to schools, temples, churches, mosques, to be part of the planting exercise.
By encouraging every Goan to do this, De Sa said that with the income each family would get would be sufficient to feed them the whole year round. The organisation especially encourages people from the mining ban affected areas to plant these grafts which will help substitute their income.
Transform Goa will initiate online bookings and have the grafts delivered by courier on prior bookings to the people. Further, the organisation will present a road map for the same and a “Vision Mankurad 2040” to the Goa government.
Said De Sa, “Before or by 2040, mancurad should be the most sought after mango in the world. We shall also involve government departments that own land, and village communidades to plant trees.”
The organisation will also train villagers and individuals to take up new entrepreneurship by making mancurad grafts through grafting (as only the grafted plant produces mancurad mangoes.) De Sa also hopes to inspire “Mancurad tourism” where tourists visiting Goa in April/May will come only to eat these fresh mangoes from the farms/road side trees or private trees.
