Better mango, cashew yield likely this season
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CANACONA, JAN 14
Owners and auctioneers of mango trees and cashew plantations in Canacona taluka are likely to have a better produce this year, as heavy flowering has begun on these seasonal fruit-bearing groves.
If sources in the agriculture department are to be believed, it is only a matter of how the concerned farmers will market the produce and succeed in reaping the rich yields expected this year.
“Thanks to the extended monsoon rains and chilly winter season, the flowering stage is excellent enough to give wide hopes of better days ahead for those farmers,” said a source from the agriculture department.
“The flowering of mango trees is also observed as very fruitful this time and it is expected that both the seasonal fruits will further boost the depending farmers’ income for their livelihood.”
In the past and specially the last season, people who had taken government cashew plots on auction by paying heavy amounts as well as people who have taken on rent privately owned plantations complained of losses or earning only meager income of profits due to insignificant or low yields.
However, agriculture sources sounded a word of caution saying: “We hope the weather will not play truant on the farmers.”
When asked what will be the estimated production this year in the taluka, especially cashew seeds, agriculture sources said: “We do not keep such records, as farmers tend to use the service counters of concerned societies to sell the produce.”
“But given the widespread view, we too expect high yields of cashew and also mango produce this season.”
“In almost all locations, one can hardly see cashew or mango tree leaves, but every such tree is covered with flowers, a good sign at this time,” said Claudio Alphonso.
