MAPUSA: Moira, a small village in Bardez, Goa, is known for its agriculture-oriented way of life. The village boasts of being home to the delicious ‘Mandoli’ species of bananas, which are famous all over the State. Here, the Satelkar family has been tilling their land for over three generations, earning their livelihood from the bounty of nature. Theirs is one of the rarest families that are still dependent entirely on farming to earn their daily bread. However, Shiva Satelkar, the scion of the family, believes that there’s a need for the government to introduce better schemes if they hope to achieve the dream of ‘Swayampurna’ Goa.
Satelkar says that the farmers from Bardez suffer as there is no dedicated counter in Mapusa market for them to sell their produce. “Youth are often told to make a career out of farming instead of running behind government jobs.
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However, the produce from the farms are given hardly any value in the market,” he adds. Earlier, there was a designated area in the Mapusa market where farmers from Bardez could sell their produce. However, Mapusa municipality has now built a bigger vegetable market, but there is no independent counter for them. They have to put tarpaulin at the roadside and sell and are always under fear of municipal workers coming and seizing their goods.
Shiva Satelkar learned the art of farming from his grandfather, and after his studies, he decided to continue with the family’s legacy in farming. However, Shiva had an experimental mind and started to grow flowers in his fields along with fruits and vegetables. He observed which flowers have more demand and in which seasons, and started to produce Arabian jasmine and Cracker flowers, which have great importance in local rituals.
“The fragrant flowers have the ability to calm our senses and hence, they are worn in the hair. Arabian jasmine and frangipani especially have a lot of demand be it for religious purposes or to be used aesthetically,” says Shiva. He added that the monthly turnover from selling jasmine buds and Cracker flowers ranges from 50,000 to 60,000 rupees.
Satelkar’s efforts to innovate and diversify his farming activities have made him a role model for many young farmers in the region. His story is a testament to the fact that with the right knowledge and innovative ideas, farming can become a profitable business.
