In a major boost to traditional occupations and rural self-employment, the Agriculture Department has revived the lost livelihood of coconut pluckers in Sanguem taluka through skill development and free access to modern equipment.
Led by Zonal Agricultural Officer (ZAO) Agresh Shirodkar, a 7-day training program titled Friends of Coconut Tree (FOCT) was recently held to train individuals—many of whom had previously left the profession—on modern coconut harvesting techniques. Participants were provided free climbing machines to help them compete with migrant workers who have dominated the trade in recent years.
“Under this scheme, participants undergo 8 to 10 days of hands-on training, including practical climbing sessions and educational modules on coconut tree care, disease management, and value-added uses of coconut,” said ZAO Shirodkar. He urged local youth to take advantage of such programs for sustainable self-employment.
One of the program’s success stories is Bomo Varak from Kashti, Sanguem, a once-unemployed traditional plucker who was sidelined due to the physically demanding nature of manual climbing. “Earlier, without machines, the work took too long and people stopped calling us. But after the training and getting the climbing machine, things changed,” Bomo shared. He now earns ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 per day and has regained his dignity through self-reliance.
The FOCT initiative not only empowers local workers but also aims to preserve Goa’s traditional professions, which are rapidly vanishing due to mechanization and external labor influence. The program has already trained 25 individuals, with many now actively plucking coconuts either as professionals or on their own plantations.
Officials say this is just the beginning, with more such training programs planned across the state to promote heritage-linked employment and reduce dependency on external labor.