GI tag brings cheer to Khola’s chilli farmers

Team Herald

CANACONA: The Geographical Indication (GI) tagging of the famous Khola or Canacona chilli has come as big news to the farmers of Canacona who had been growing this horticultural spice crop since ages. This development has thrown up many opportunities to the authorities as well as farmers to take the Canacona chilli to the worldwide market.

It is believed that most of the varieties of chillies grown in Goa today were introduced here by the Portuguese, and over the centuries, different hybrid varieties have emerged from what was brought from overseas.

It may be recalled that one of the local famers’ community was bestowed with the 

Plant Genome Saviour Community Award in 2016 for maintaining the genetic value of the seed.

This award gave immense publicity to the otherwise modest Canacona chilli and fetched hefty profits to the farmers as the dried spice crop is commanding high demand of over Rs 600 a kg this year.

The farmers across the villages of Khola, Cotigao, Gaondogrem, Sristhal and Barcem who grow Canacona chilli are ecstatic as the news of the local chilly getting GI tagged got wide publicity on local print and electronic media.

The peculiarity of this chilly is that it’s red in colour with medium pungent taste and it is grown on the hill slopes of Canacona.

However the plots of this chilli cultivation are small and are fenced using thorny branches available nearby. A lot of preparation goes before the saplings of the chilly saplings are transplanted by hand immediately after the monsoon strikes in the month of June.

Farmers say that nothing has changed since ages and they grow the saplings and maintain the same way it was grown hundreds of years ago.

Sources said that there are about 2,000 farmers growing Canacona chill in the region, the production is between 100 to 150 tonnes, which depends on a lot of factors, which include the good distribution of monsoon rains till the plant gets flowered.

Insiders say that the value of Canacona chillies produced and sold is close to Rs 1 crore if not more.

Zonal Agricultural Office (ZAO) in Canacona has already started galvanising its resources so that in the years to come the area under this crop as well as production can be increased.

Shivram Naikgaonkar, ZA Officer said that the GI tagging will lead to the Canacona chilli becoming world famous and that the demand is going to increase substantially. “The farmers have to rise to the occasion by increasing the production of this crop, which will in turn double their income. Earlier, it was only famous in Goa but now after the GI tag, it will get worldwide recognition, which will increase the market for this indigenous crop. We are seriously considering certifying this spice as organic so the farmers get a premium rate" said Naikgaonkar optimistically.

Ganesh Gaonkar, sarpanch of Sristhal village panchayat who himself grows Canacona chillies in Sristhal village speaking to Herald said that there are about 2,000 farmers who grow this chilli individually or in groups across Canacona and neighbouring Barcem.When this correspondent visited the Khola village to find out how the news of GI tagging of the local produce has been received by them, most of the farmers said that they need drying platforms and storage bins and government support to further its production.

"In the absence of drying platforms we are forced to dry the prized chillies on tarred village roads" they said.

Most of the farmers growing this chilly were in for praise to Agricultural department, ICAR and Department of Science and Technology, Goa for putting their village and Khola/Canacona chilly on all India map and expected more support to GI tag other products grown locally, which are equally indigenous and unique to the region.