CANACONA
With nearly 90% of cultivation of the famed Khola chillies destroyed by Cyclone Tauktae, the Canacona Zonal Agriculture Office (ZAO) has now attempted to give a boost to the re-cultivation of the famed Khola chillies.
“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,” said Canacona ZAO Kirtiraj Naikgaunkar.
“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.
The Canacona ZAO received nearly 319 applications from Khola chilly cultivators alone for compensation and most claimed to have suffered total losses in the cyclone.
“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 between 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.”
Incidentally, the Khola chillies have been affected for the second time in two years, when extended monsoons had adversely affected its production in 2019, the same year when the chillies were granted the much-coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
The Khola chillies are considered unique for their bright red colour, mild or mid-pungent in taste, thin-skinned and unique flavour. It's thin skin helps differentiate it from other varieties of chillies grown in Canacona taluka.
Besides being predominantly grown in Khola-Canacona, the Khola chilly is also also cultivated in other parts of Canacona taluka, especially in the hilly areas of Agonda, Shristhal, Gaondongrim and Cotigao villages.
