MARGAO
Smiles have lit the faces of farmers around Verna-Nagoa-Utorda as they are hoping for a bumper harvest of juicy watermelons this season.
The farmers as well as agriculture officers have sounded upbeat as the initial harvest has promised a bumper yield this year compared to the last two years. Right from Dulape, the heartland of watermelon cultivation, to Nagoa and Utorda, farmers speak of a good yield this year. The local watermelons have already hit the Margao-Panjim highway along the Verna stretch, as well as the smaller village markets.
A farmer from Utorda, Pedro Santan Fernandes has even harvested a watermelon weighing nearly 12 kilograms. While many a farmer along the Verna-Nagoa market their produce on the highway, Pedro has sold around 80 watermelons in the markets at Majorda to Loutolim so far and is now bracing up for a second round of harvest.
The 60-year-old farmer, who has been into watermelon and vegetable production for the last 40 years, pointed out that his counterparts in Dulape-Verna have also harvested good watermelon yield this season.
Margao Zonal Agriculture Officer, Sheriff Furtado said “Last two years, watermelon cultivation was affected by the melon moth pest, devastating the cultivation. With help from the Agriculture Technology Management Agency, we impart training to the farmers. We had also roped in scientists to help farmers how to identify and address the issue,” he said.
Expressing his satisfaction that 98% of the watermelon cultivation was free from any pest this year, Sheriff said, “we can see the smiles returning on the faces of the farmers this year.”
