FRIDAY, MAY 03, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Even as the agricultural fields are getting filled by mud in Khareband for the proposed western bypass project, a local farmer named Raymond Costa is successfully growing high-value, unique organic black rice varieties on it.
Raymond, who was once a seafarer by profession, is now engaged in farming and is happy to see that his efforts are bearing fruit.
He also appealed to the farmers from other parts of the State to cultivate black rice, which also has high medicinal value.
This black rice is considered to be highly nutritious owing to its antioxidant properties. Recently, the same crop was harvested in Navelim by one of the farmers.
“I thought of cultivating black rice in this agricultural field at Khareband where the filling has been done for the proposed western bypass project. Growing such high-value rice varieties has several benefits. This Manipuri black rice sells at a premium price of Rs 400 per kg in the market,” said Costa.
He further said that initially, he faced a tough time in order to get the seeds of black rice variety and even went to Anjuna and Canacona. The Zonal Agricultural Office at Margao, besides other concerned departments also guided him.
Costa is amongst the few farmers who have chosen to cultivate the famous Manipuri black rice variety in the State of Goa.
Charles D’Silva, chairman of the Benaulim Biodiversity Committee thanked Raymond for taking a step forward in cultivating this black rice variety, which Goa has lost forever.
“We will always support Raymond in the near future to cultivate of black rice, which has medicinal properties. He has not used any fertiliser but only compost for cultivating the crop, which means this rice is purely organic,” he said.
It is pertinent to note that the agricultural field where Raymond has cultivated this black rice has been filled with mud at many places in order to build the western bypass project.
