PONDA: Around 80 Bandora traditional malekars (farmers) on Friday urged the government to provide support to cultivate locally produced vegetables in monsoon, on Bandora hill slopes.
The farmers are busy in their preparations for cultivation of locally grown monsoon vegetables such as cucumbers, lady finger, gosali (green ridge gourd), green chilli, padavali (snake gourd), which are much in demand from locals in monsoon season.
These vegetables need rain water and so mostly grown on a hill slope during monsoon. All along Bandora hills’ slopes, the farmers are seen busy since past many days preparing the ground for vegetable cultivation, which generates them revenue by selling local produce by the roadside.
The farmers said, “We need financial support from the government to be self-reliant in the form of subsidy for growing vegetables as the labour cost is increasing day by day and the Agriculture Department should provide guidance to control insect nuisance.”
A farmer said, “There is no help from Agriculture Department .”
Farmer Pundalik Colvekar said, “There are around 80 malekars in Bandora. This is our traditional occupation, which commences with preparations in May on the slopes of Bandora hills. We need at least 15 days to one month’s time for preparations including making the soil fertile for planting seeds.”
