Those who were undertaking agriculture operations manually are now using trans-planters, tractors and harvesting.
“We held demonstrations across Goa and seeing the positive results many farmers approached us to transplant paddy crops in their fields,” says Fr George. It was two years ago that the Don Bosco Society began catering to the farmers in Mayem, Velsao, Majorda, Betalbatim, Curtorim, Surla, Cavellosium, Saligao, Anjuna and Chandor. During the Kharif season, the society helped them to cultivate 8.5 lakh sq mts and half of it in the Rabi season, ie four lakh sq mts in 2016. Fr George shuttles between villages in Goa with the paddy trans-planter owned by the Society to help out the farmers.
Umesh Gaonkar has been undertaking farming manually for over a decade now. Studied up to class VIII he couldn’t get a job. However, with mechanical farming technique from Don Bosco Society he cultivates crops twice. Each time it has been a bumper harvest.
Ranjana Gaonkar, has been sowing paddy manually for the past 45 years. She explains, that the transplantation must be done between December 15 to 25 for Rabi crop otherwise the farmers in Mayem fall short of water in the later stages of the crop as the lake dries up at the end of March, when the fields need water at the time of engraining.
Ranjana who did not posses a Krishi Card did not qualify for subsidy. But now that she has, it will cover 70 pc of her expenses incurred on mechanised farming. “Mechanised farming is cheaper than the of labour,” says Ranjana.
For Balakrishna Pandurang Shet, mechanised farming came as a boon. He admits that there are some minor discomforts but they can be taken care of . “The bunds break while planting with machine. The bundh is a must or else the weeds begin growing. But this hassle is not a serious one and there is a solution for it,” he states.
A farmer’s son, Bhaskar Savlo Narvekar from Deulwada in Surla is into farming as well as employment. This SSC passed youth works for a casino company in Panaji when there are no agricultural activities. Out of his 1.5 lakh sq mt of land, Bhaskar last year utilised 20,000 sq mt for mechanised farming and was happy with the results.
This year he has increased it to 45,000 sq mts. He cultivates paddy, chili, vegetables and fruits for home consumption and has tried SRI method of paddy cultivation too. With a natural stream flowing through his fields, there is no scarcity of water for him; but it is the scarcity of labour that was affecting his farming which has now been mechanised.
Minguel Vaz from Curtorim is into hobby farming for 15 years. He first tried mechanical farming in December 2015 and then again the Kharip crop in June 2016. Eight other farmers in Maina and Curtorim have opted for mechanised farming. What would have cost Vaz 40 man days and Rs 15,000 was completed in two-and-a half days with less than half the amount.
“We clubbed together and requested Fr George to help us with the machine,” explains Sharad Shet another farmer who took the lead and contacted Fr George. Sharad’s 5,500 sq mt land is brought under mechanical cultivation in 2016. Farmers Mahadev Gawas, Datta Karbodkar, Prabhavati Gawas, Subhash Shet, Shashikant Gaonkar, Savlo Gaddi, Gurudas Naik, Satyavan Gaonkar, Gunavant Gaddi and Madhukar Gawas - all from Mayem are seeking Don Bosco Society’s help to sow their fields.
The success of cost-saving mechanized transplanting system will boost a revival of paddy cultivation in Goa provided the government intervenes,” feels Fr George whose efforts as promoter of this technology have shown positive results. There is no other way for survival for the farmers than adopting mechanised farming which will usher bumper harvest. Though it is not exactly community farming, the system is working smoothly until now. “Fr George’s efforts will surely write the success story of mechanical farming in Goa, where labour is scarce and expensive making agriculture a tedious task for many,” expresses the happy farmers.
