MARGAO: Even as the centuries-old practice of traditional salt farming is struggling to stay relevant due to the vagaries of climate change and a decline in occupational practices, Tulsidas Naik continues to engage in salt farming, despite all odds.
70-year-old Tulsidas, who hails from Batim, Goa Velha, can still be seen travelling several kilometres away to sell the salt he painstakingly produces.
Tulsidas laments that the inclination of today’s youth towards modern culture, besides the government’s lack of efforts towards protecting traditional salt farming has badly affected this heritage occupation of Goa.
Speaking to OHeraldo, Tulsidas said that unpredictable rainfall, coupled with low income from production and losses incurred due to damage to salt pan embankments has forced many farmers to give up this traditional occupation.
In Goa, the Mithgaudas, Gauddos, Bhandaris, Agris and Agers’ communities were traditionally engaged in traditional salt farming.
“Time has changed and we are losing many things. Industrially manufactured salt has resulted in a decline in sales. We are engaged in the ancient method of salt farming, which yields common salt or halite rock salt as the final product and people are hardly seen making best use of it like in the olden times,” said Tulsidas, adding that salt was the occupation of several villages earlier.
“My family has engaged in this traditional occupation for the last two decades. We managed to push forward despite several difficulties and no support from the government. A few years ago, we used to sell out the salt at the rate of Rs 150 per container (around 10 kgs), but with no options left, we were forced to hike the rate to Rs 250,” said Tulsidas.
He starts salt farming in the month of December and in a period of three to four months, his produce is ready to be sold. The preparatory phase is from December to January and cultivation and harvesting phase from February to June.
“Last year, I only got one month to sell my salt due to continuous rainfall. Climate change has badly affected
traditional salt farming in just these past few years,” said
Tulsidas.
He said that years ago there were many salt pans in Batim, but currently, only a few of them are in use.The toil does not end after production; farmers like Tulisdas must travel several kilometres in order to sell their salt.
The dying occupation of salt farming is an important part of the rich culture of Goa and it’s a pity that the next generation will not even know how salt was produced, he added.
“I travel to Salcete taluka and a few other villages in Ponda and Mormugao. Many times, my trip goes in vain and farmers like me return home with hardly a few thousands in our pockets. In recent years many have stopped using salt harvested by traditional farming,” said Tulsidas.
The senior citizen reiterated his dismay at the effects of erratic weather on his
profession, pointing out that rain at odd times in these
past few years has affected him very badly as the salt pans get flooded, resulting in a poorer yield.
His request to the government is to help salt farmers out during difficult times, especially during instances of natural damage to their fields.
“Salt pans at many places have been destroyed due to urbanisation. The lack of timely help from the government in protecting these salt pans has forced farmers to take up other businesses,” he said, lamenting that the unpredictable weather and erratic rain has demotivated most salt producers.