Media reports highlighted the fact that around 4 lakh square metres of Maina-Cutorim agricultural land was harvested using mechanical cultivation. Some time back a similar initiative was organized in Chicalim to cultivate 20 km of fields using mechanized cultivation. Farming has witnessed a migration of farmers to other fields. The young were not interested in this back-breaking job. But how will this change the game? Will this enthuse young Goans to take up farming as a viable career?
The initial response has been very encouraging. Moris from Parra the team did a fantastic transplanting job on their field at Parra. He said “The mechanized way of transplanting which the team, from the Don Bosco Loutolim Society, leading the mechanized farming initiative, have started is a ray of hope for guys like me who want to be in farming protecting our ancestors’ field. Without this it would not have been possible, my mother gave up on this field because of the tedious job involved. This year I promised, we will do it in this mechanical way which made her very happy.
Father George Quadros is literally the High Priest of this movement. Stanley Xetkar, one of four boys assisting him in this exercise said the local response was definitely positive. Stanley said “We have feedback, people are very grateful. Some of them said their parents were old and didn’t have time to spend in the field but now this initiative was heaven sent. Many people who had not harvested their field for twenty years were now keen on doing it every year.”
This initiative brought responses from people all over Goa. Elvis Pompeia, Senior BSc Agri (DBCA) Student from Vasco explained that mechanised agriculture was the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanise the work of agriculture, greatly increasing farm worker’s productivity. He said “This type of farming is very useful to those farmers who don’t have sufficient labour. But getting all machinery without the knowledge of using it would turn out useless. Agriculture can get a rise in Goa with the use of mechanised farming only when we have the knowledge and skill of using the machinery. My opinion for this would be that the farmer should gain the knowledge regarding the use of machinery and revive agriculture in our Goa State”.
Nathan D’souza a young farmer in Talegao said “Mechanical Agriculture is not only about ploughing fields on tractors, using a transplanting and harvester machine. This covers just 40% of the job but more important is the cultivation of seeds of the variety consumed in Goa. For that, good quality processing units are required to make Goa self-sustaining at least in rice cultivation.”
Dattaprasad Naik, a third-year botany student at St Joseph Vaz College, Cortalim
said he would be very interested in mechanized farming because it now faster, low personal investment due to the availability of various agricultural schemes. Importantly he felt it would be less trouble due to machines doing all the work. He said “If we can see positive results in the initiative taken up by our college, I won’t mind going full time into mechanized farming”.
Kaiser Colaco from Vasco, Goa an agriculture graduate from Don Bosco College Of Agriculture, Sulcorna, Quepem felt the rise in mechanised farming in Goa was going to boost the agriculture sector, economic development and growth because the fallow lands could be brought under cultivation once again. It would reduce dependency on neighbouring states for grains, vegetables and fruits and help Goa become self-sufficient. This would increase the job opportunities for the young as the farming industry would create jobs in the farm machinery sector, service and maintenance, research and development etc. Finally, he felt mechanical agriculture could get farm work done efficiently, effectively and it’s much more affordable than the conventional way.
Valerie Afonso, President, Chicalim Youth Farmers Club felt that given the assurance that Mormugao would have its own ZAO, availing these mechanised resources would be a lot easier. This he felt would reduce a lot of hurdles, and yes, farming could be taken up effectively as it can create daily job opportunities for youngsters even with degrees but no jobs at hand. Provided, he said, the government helped those without actual farming lands in finding suitable land for cultivation.
The man who started it all in Goa, Dr Fr. Bolmax Pereira, Mentor, CYFC said “ Opportunity seldom knocks a second time” the devastating covid-19 pandemic has knocked on our agricultural doors in a big way and mechanized farming shows an increasing trend the youngsters in Goa look to be in a great mood to explore the opportunity. Only time will tell how much this mood sustains in the coming years which will greatly depend on the successful agriculture season this year”.
One can only hope more young Goans consider agriculture as an option to farm their future.
