Currently in its second phase of
production, Padekar.com is a team effort from Suprajit Raikar of Benaulim and
his friends from the Desi Motorcycle Diaries (DMD) Youth Adventure Club. The
website offers the services of a coconut plucker on any required day.
A young software engineer, Suprajit was
struck by the idea of bringing coconut pluckers to the internet for easy access
when he attended a talk. “The talk spoke about ‘Benaulecho Nall’ which come
from my village and are known throughout Goa for their huge size.
Unfortunately, we hardly see much of the coconut because there is a shortage of
padekars. In Benaulim itself, there will be around 2-3 padekars. I thought of
starting a website where customers could hire padekars. Currently, we are
working in Salcete and planning to expand it to North Goa later,” says
Suprajit, who has received tremendous response along the coast.
The shortage of padekars is affecting
not just landlords with vast coconut groves but is attacking the entire cycle.
“Due to the shortage of coconut pluckers, there is a lower yield of coconut. This is affecting the
livelihoods of ‘giranns’, coconut oil extraction mills. Since there are less
coconuts available, the rates of the most-used commodity has also increased.
Padekars are very few and there is a lot of demand for them. Now there are
people from other states coming to Goa and taking advantage of this situation
and climbing coconut trees,” adds Suprajit.
Machines cannot be used for every coconut tree in Goa because the trees
in Goa lean, while the machine requires straight trees.
How does the website work? Once a
customer fills in the form for the date, place and how many trees need
plucking, they have to pay the fees. The next step is a unique identity number
that will be given to the customer and a chief coordinator who in turn will
contact a registered padekar with the details. The coconuts will be plucked on
the marked date. “Our team consists of two chief coordinators, coordinators and
finally the padekars. We have identified around 12 -15 padekars in Salcete. We
approached the Directorate of Agriculture who informed us that most Goan
padekars live in Canacona. We have done our ground work and our database is
ready,” says Suprajit.
The padekars registered with Padekar.com
will receive many benefits; one factor why youngsters can get attracted to the
initiative. They will provide Rs 5 lakhs to the family of the padekars who die
an accidental death by falling from a tree. Padekars will receive free
treatment for illness, bruises or cuts from their tools and they will receive
the same wages as the circular of the agriculture department. “In addition to
that, they can work with modern technology as we are bringing in machines from
Coimbatore. My long term dream is to open a Padekar training facility where
padekars above 60 years of age who feel unfit to climb trees can teach
youngsters the trade,” says Suprajit.
In the future, Padekar.com is also
planning to host a competition, ‘Fastest padekar konn?’ which will be open to
18 to 25 year olds.
