BHIVA PARAB | NT
PANAJI: The coconut output has been stagnant in the state for the last several years and if two main concerns – pest attack and shortage of manpower – are not taken care of then we will see inexorable decline of madd, which is a symbol of Goan identity.
Agriculture director Ulhas Pai Kakode is of the view that coconut farmers should focus on increasing coconut yield and should take proper care of coconut trees by using proper fertiliser, neem etc, which will not only boost the yield but also help in thwarting attack of pests.
He rues that nowadays coconut farmers are not keen on tending coconut plants, which are prone to be blighted by pests.
“If farmers take good care of coconut plants then there will be less chances of pests attacking the plants, and there will not be much affect on the yield,” he says.
Sources in the agricultural department say coconut output has been stable in the last couple of years. Moreover, this year the coconut yield may see drop which will force the farmers to pull up their socks in arresting decline in the yield in the near future.
One of the reasons that have led to the present situation is that the young blood shies away from taking up the traditional occupation, which they feel does not bring in good profits.
The farmers strongly feel that the youth must be encouraged to get into farming especially coconut plantation as coconut is one commodity which does not perish like vegetables in a few days.
“The government should come up with some scheme to encourage the youth to take up farming. The government should also look into various problems faced by us,” the farmers say.
However, it must be noted here that the department provides farmers with an assured price of Rs 10 per nut, which means if the market price of coconut is Rs 6 then the farmers get additional Rs 4 from the government.
Some farmers say that if they hire labourers for tending coconut trees then no profit will be left for them as they will have to pay through their nose for exorbitant wages to the labourers.