MARGAO: In a positive trend for Swayampurna, or self-reliance in horticulture, Salcete is undergoing a transformation, as people have now started growing green leafy vegetables during the monsoons and catering to the need of the local market.
According to a retired agriculture officer, this change is primarily because of the agriculture department has stepped up efforts to reduce dependency on neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra and provided popular vegetable seeds at subsidised rates to farmers to grow them on a commercial scale in the State.
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It is revealed that 200 acres in Salcete and Mormugao is presently under vegetable cultivation and locals parochialise home grown vegetables.
Various local vegetables like teniya bhaji (a green leafy vegetable), chaie bhaji (tubers), ek pana bhaji (green leafy vegetable), gotisherya bhaji, alsane (kidney beans), amaranthus both green and red, red cabbage, lady fingers, onions, french beans, cauliflower, pumpkin, sweet potato, cucumber, brinjal or eggplant, potato, tero, etc can be seen cultivated in different villages.
A cultivator from Gogol said that around 200 acres is under local vegetable cultivation in Salcete. “As Salcete has abundant land, lot of vegetables are grown here,” he said.
“There is a growing demand for local vegetables and the most favoured are amaranthus, lady fingers, cucumbers, radish and a variant of chickpeas which is popularly known as alsane,” said the officer.
He also pointed out that while in the past, local vegetables were mostly sold on the roadside by the cultivators, at present they are even found in regular vegetable stalls in the market thus proving the growing demand for them.
A cultivator from Gogal pointed out that green leafy vegetable cultivations can be seen at Davorlim, Chandor, Curtorim, Verna, Nuvem, Arlem, Raia, Fatorda, Sao Jose de Areal, Loutolim amongst other places.
“Sometimes we sell bright orange flowers of pumpkin, creepers with fleshy leaves, banana leaves, different gourds, pumpkin along with other regular vegetables,” said a vegetable vendor from Borda.
However, she said the increase in prices has reduced people’s purchasing power especially of the middle class and common man.
Prices of vegetables that are usually imported to Goa from the neighbouring States are very often in short supply during the monsoons as the supply lines are affected.
During such times, the locally grown vegetables come to the aid of the people, but this time around, even prices of these local vegetables are quite steep.
“It is indeed becoming quite difficult with the rising prices to provide a balanced diet especially for the children who need the vegetables,” said Sandep Pedneker from Ram Nagri.
At Margao, one has to pay Rs 30 for a bunch of 3-4 raddish, while a bunch of amaranthus is sold for Rs 20 to 25. Prices of other vegetables are: 20 large lady fingers for Rs 50, a bunch of long beans Rs 60, cluster beans portion or vantto Rs 50, sweet potato Rs 100 a portion.
