PANAJI
The government may have imported large quantities of coconut to sell through horticulture outlets to shield locals from soaring prices ahead of the Ganesh Chathurti festival, but several agriculturists and domain experts have expressed concern over the threat to the coconut tree from pests and disease.
‘Bud rot’, which has affected coconut trees in large areas across the State, is one major threat that they believe could undermine the primacy of the coconut in Goan life in the long run.
According to botanist Miguel Braganza, the ‘bud rot’ disease has been affecting the coconut tree in Goa for several years, but the damage was mostly confined to Sattari and Dharbandora because of higher wind speeds there.
“Now the damage has spread to trees in several other areas across the State,” Braganza, a former agriculture officer with the State government, said, expressing concern.
Bud rot disease destroys coconut palms, with the terminal bud and surrounding tissues rotting, ultimately leading to their death if not addressed.
“It is caused by a fungus, ‘Phytophthora Palmivora’, and can be managed with preventive and curative combined measures,” Braganza said.
He added that an increase in Rhinoceros beetles due to stray cattle is making the problem worse in Goa.
Meanwhile, the State government has officially acknowledged drastic falls in coconut yields in the last three years since 2021.
Goa’s coconut production in 2022-23, which was approximately 16.31 crore nuts, had fallen to just 15 crore nuts in 2024-25, nearly 1.3 crore nuts less over two years and a worrying 6.26% dip according to official government data.
Agriculture department officials are attributing the fall in production to pests, disease, and ageing trees, besides neglect by horticulturists due to a dearth of labour and high costs.
Officials also said that monkeys, squirrels, and other animals are damaging the flowering parts of the coconut palm, young shoots, and immature coconuts, affecting yields.
Agriculturist Nestor Rangel, who owns and manages a large multi-crop farm in Valpoi-Sattari, said that in the last 10 years he has hardly obtained any yield from the over 300 coconut trees due to the monkey menace.
Assagao-based botanist Daniel D’Souza, who specialises in commercial landscaping, also expressed similar views on the threat to the coconut due to the bud rot disease.
He said that in the course of his work on landscaping projects, he has come across several trees that are affected and have died.
He said that ZAOs of the Agriculture Department and scientists at the ICAR in Ella, Old Goa, should be tasked with tackling this ‘bud rot’ problem on a war footing, lest the coconut eventually become rare in Goa in a few years’ time.
