A file photo of the famed Khola chillies being dried in Canacona.
CANACONA
The prized Khola chillies, which were granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019, could be in severe shortage during the next harvest, as nearly 90% of the cultivation was destroyed by Cyclone Tauktae Cyclone last month.
“Not many have taken up re-cultivation of Khola chillies which were destroyed at the nursery stage itself during the cyclone, so it is a rare possibility that these famed Khola chillies will be available after harvest,” said Canacona Zonal Agriculture Officer (ZAO) Kirtiraj Naikgaunkar.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was made aware of this situation when he visited Canacona on May 20 to review cyclone relief work in Canacona taluka.
During a joint meeting with officials of various departments involved in relief work in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar and Dy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes, Canacona ZAO Kirtiraj Naikgaunkar had informed the chief minister that the famed Khola chillies were destroyed by the cyclone.
According to locals, chillies in Canacona are mainly locally grown in small plots ranging between 200 sq. mtrs and 500 sq. mtrs on hilly terrain alongside other vegetables like bhendi, ridge gourd and cucumber by community farmers in villages like Khola, Shristhal, Gaondongrim and Cotigao of Canacona taluka.
Sources at the Canacona ZAO said nearly 90% of the cultivation of Khola chillies was destroyed at the nursery stage when most of the hilly terrains in Canacona were struck by the cyclone.
“As a result, there is an acute shortage of Khola chillies have presently led to a spike in rates to Rs 1,200 per kilo, as compared to rates of Rs 300-400, when production was normal,” said the source.
The Canacona ZAO received nearly 319 applications from Khola chilli cultivators alone for compensation and most claimed to have suffered total losses in the cyclone.
“The losses claimed by Khola chilly cultivators are estimated at Rs 6 lakh. Applications of affected farmers are still being processed for compensation and they will be settled in due course,” said Naikgaunkar.
“As the nursery period is already over, none could re-cultivate the Khola chillies, indicating that there will not be much production of the unique Khola chillies in Canacona, at least for now.”
“Each sapling yields between 1-2 kgs of Khola chillies. The cultivation is only in small plots ranging betwen 200 sq. mtrs and 500 sq. mtrs on community based farming with common fencing and common efforts, with the profits also shared among farmers.”
“Given the usual challenges in growing this crop, the overall production of Khola chillies this time is unlikely to go beyond the usual 2 quintals during normal season.”
“The Canacona ZAO has now made available 10,000 seedlings of Khola chillies for Canacona farmers and a few have already taken them for cultivation,” Naikgaunkar added.
