CANACONA: As per government statistics, Canacona receives an average rainfall of 2,879 mm, while its wet spell is for 112 days in a year. This year, farmers cultivating various crops, like paddy, sugarcane, vegetables, flowers and fruits, have switched to dry mode due to insufficient rainfall.
Traditional farmer Vithoba Gaonkar stated that most Canacona farmers were worried about the dry spell for almost a month now as the sown seeds were withering away. For many, this is a crucial time for their crops. If the dry spell continues, the local farmers feel that almost all seasonal crops will be affected and they will run into losses.
“With the recent dry conditions, farmers have been progressing steadily with seeding operations, and we can definitely see the end of our seeding season,” informed traditional farmers Mahesh Velip and Suhas Gaonkar, who have no water source other than the rains.
Most farmers in the hilly regions of Poinguinim, Gaondongrem and Cotigao carry out farming with the terracing method, in which the rain water slowly seeps downhill. Farmers who completed sowing operations are worried about the loss of the seeds, while those who have not started are bound to be concerned over the delay in rains.
In Cotigao, Gaondongrem, Khola, Agonda, Gulem and Poinguinim, around 20 per cent of sowing works has been completed. Farmers who began seeding operations at an early stage rely solely on rainwater to keep the seeds germinating. At Digamorord, Pansulem and Khalwadem-Delem, farmers have completely stopped paddy cultivation due to scanty rainfall.
According to Cotigao farmer Sangtu Velip, some farmers were alerted through media reports that rainfall would be below average this year. They kept their land fallow fearing losses.
Most paddy cultivators from Gulem, including traditional farmers Jorgo Velip, Rama Kusta Velip, Rama Girmo Desai, said that the lack of rainfall was a serious problem for the ‘Morod’ paddy cultivators as they depended completely on rainwater as there was no other source of water.
According to Canacona Zonal Agricultural Officer Shivram Gaonkar, if the dry spell continues, the production of many seasonal crops like chilies, okra (ladyfinger), cucumber, brinjal, pumpkin will be severely affected.
The Canacona chilies are very popular due to their color and taste. So far, 80 percent of chilly-transplanting work has been completed. If it does not rain in the next few days, it is possible that chilly cultivation across the taluka will be adversely affected, added the Zonal Officer.
Chilly cultivation is the main occupation of farmers in hilly areas. Around 90 percent of farmers in Velip and Kunbi communities depend on this cash crop.
For the farmers, the dry spell means loss of seeds, while for agriculture laborers it means loss of daily wages. Farmers from Gulem, Asali and Chapoli also said it was very difficult for their oxen to plough dry fields.
The traditional farmers said that Canacona’s paddy yields in the last two years had been very low as the rain kept away when the crops were in the flowering stage. This year, lack of rain has affected paddy cultivation right from the first stage.
Even though tourism has seriously affected farming activities, a look at Canacona reveals that most people still depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The villagers of Gaondongrem, Cotigao, Agonda, Khola and other parts of the taluka mainly grow paddy during the monsoon, followed by other seasonal crops, like bananas, ground nuts, cashew nuts, and sugarcane in the other seasons.
