PONDA: The arrival of monsoon has brought smiles on the faces of farmers from Ponda, who have been busy cultivating locally-grown vegetables on the hills and plateaus of the taluka.
Two months ago, the farmers were busy preparing the ground for cultivating these vegetables as they would climb hills to sow seeds and irrigate them by hiring water tankers. It is pertinent to note that the hills and plateaus in Ponda taluka have turned green with farmers engaged in cultivation of cucumber, lady finger, tambdi bhaji and other vegetables, which are in high demand during the season.
These vegetables are in high demand and are sold by the roadside along the highways in the taluka in the months of July and August.
Stating that they depend on these farming activities to earn their livelihood, the farmers complained of facing lots of difficulties in growing these much sought after vegetables. Several farmers cultivating these vegetables atop the hills are neither legal owners, nor tenants, but have been growing them just to keep the age-old tradition alive. The farmers requested the government to maintain the traditional farming by launching a financial scheme for them.
Chandan Velingkar, a farmer, who cultivates these vegetables along with his mother near GEC plateau at Farmagudi, said, “For the past decade I have been cultivating these vegetables. I inherited this traditional method of growing monsoon vegetables from my father and grandfather.”
Besides Chandan, Krishnanath Gaude, Suresh Gaude, Ragoba Gaude and Shashikant from Veling Priol are cultivating vegetables with permission of GEC management. Beside Farmagudi, the plateaus and hills in Bandora have turned green with the farmers taking up the cultivation of vegetables.