Raia farmer Edward Mendes displaying the apple in his garden at Manora. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar.
MARGAO
An Apple a day keeps a doctor away, so goes the old age saying. Apples from Kashmir and Shimla to apples imported from New Zealand and Iran and other countries have been flooding the Goan market over the years to meet the requirements of the local populace.
How about apples grown in Goa? Welcome to a farm owned by Edward Mendes at Manora Raia, where curious citizens and horticulturists have been making a beeline to have a look at the apple fruit bearing tree.
Indeed, the apple grown in Edward’s farm has become a talking point on the social media throwing up a host of questions, including the moot question whether apples can be grown in Goa’s hot and humid climate conditions.
Mendes explained that he had brought about 200 apple plants from the North Indian hilly state of Himachal Pradesh for cultivation. “It has taken three years for flowering. It normally takes five years for a graft to bear fruit. In the case of tissue culture, flowering starts within three years”, he sid.
Though one can see a lone apple on a tree in the garden, Mendes said a number of plants are at various stages of flowering, but have been isolated from the public due to the rush.
To a question, he said the apple variety grown at his farm can withstand temperatures up to 45 degree centigrade. “We have a notion that apples are grown only in cool climates and in the hilly areas. The apple variety I have grown in my farm is heat resistant and is being grown and cultivated in a big way in Belagavi and other parts of South Goa’, he said.
He said apple has changed the colour after last week’s unseasonal rains that lashed the state. “Normally, the apple flower is ready for harvesting in 165 days, but we have seen the apple changing colour after the unseasonal rains hit the state due to climate change. Otherwise, the fruit would have been ready for harvest around May end or first week of June”, he added.
When The Goan contacted Agriculture Director Neville Alphonso to shed light on the apple grown at a farm in Raia, he said he has come across the news via the social media.
“Agriculture Officers as well as ICAR scientists will visit the farm to seek more details from the farmer. In the past, the ICAR had planted apple saplings at Sanguem around two years ago”, he said.
