PANAJI
Goa’s horticulture season, primarily cashew and mango, has entered a critical phase and farmers across the hilly belts of Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari have described this year’s crop as “average to good,” and agriculture officials admit fruiting from the second and third flowering has been weak.
Earlier forecasts had already warned of a downturn in cashew yields, hit by erratic weather and the tea mosquito bug. Mild unseasonal showers in January and February had disrupted flowering, raising fears of lower output compared to 2025.
The State government has responded with a Rs 2 crore allocation to set up the Goa State Cashew Board, which will be responsible for stabilising prices and also developing improved varieties at government farms in Kodar and Kalay.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the agriculture portfolio, in his budget speech, has pledged support for cashew farmers, emphasising affordable planting material and long-term sustainability. The cashew sector remains vital as it employs thousands in processing units and is crucial to sustaining livelihoods in Goa's countryside.
In contrast, mango growers continue to remain upbeat. The prized Mancurad variety, which witnessed strong flowering due to the stable late-winter temperatures, officials said, could herald one of Goa's best mango seasons in recent years.
"However, it is crucial that pre-monsoon rain, often witnessed in April or May, does not trigger fruit drop," a senior agriculture officer said.
Other crops like Kokum, too, are on the radar of the agriculture department as it has seen rising demand for beverages and extracts.
The Agriculture Department’s Rs 293 crore budget for 2026-27 covers community farming and digital farmer IDs to facilitate subsidy disbursal, which, farmer cooperatives caution, may not be the antidote to erratic weather and climate change fuelled disruption to their yields.
