I visited Kumeri farmers recently as a part of educational study, to learn about organic farming.
These farmers put up a lot of hard-work during the hot month of May by watering the vegetable saplings. There is no water provision provided by the government as they source it from villages.
They prepare their own organic manure with cow-dung, ash, dried leaves. Various seasonal vegetables like gourd, ladyfingers, snake-gourds, radish, cluster beans are grown by these poor farmers which are grown at mountainous slopes during monsoons.
As I was talking to them, they expressed concerns about scanty rainfall this year and anticipated poor crops. Some of them have no clue of government schemes, Krishi cards and they do not own land or are not tenants, hence cannot qualify to avail Krishi cards.
Organic farm products are delicious, healthy and have a lot of health benefits and involves a lot of laborious work. I request the agriculture department to carry out a survey of these farmers and cover them under Krishi cards and moreover these are original Goan farmers who are doing a wonderful job of growing organic farming.
Kumeri farming is a traditional form of farming practiced by the original tribals of Goa. This is the best time to conduct the survey and help these farmers.
