Korgut the variety of rice that was grown in Goa earlier is making a silent comeback. The number of farmers opting for it is growing every year thanks to the initiative taken by the ZAO at Margao.
Korgut is that variety of paddy that grows tall to fight against water logging and which is also resistant to saline water. It was the crop that was cultivated earlier particularly in the khazan lands and fields that got flooded during the kharif season.
However, following the introduction of the quick yielding hybrid species of Jaya and Jyoti, farmers abandoned the old breed and opted for the hybrid varieties that gave them larger return and made agriculture a viable option. However, Korgut is a totally natural crop that does not need any fertilizer and thrives only on natural manure. As it is grown largely in khazan land, whatever natural fertilizer that is formed in the water logged areas is used by the crop and no chemical fertilizers are used as they may harm the marine life there.
Korgut is now being marketed as a totally organic rice produce and attracts higher price and that is the reason why more and more farmers are getting attracted to it.
Initially Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Old Goa gave the Agriculture Department some Korgut seeds for multiplication. Last year around 11.5 tonnes of the seed were distributed free of cost to farmers from Salcete by the Margao Zonal Agriculture Office.
While four tones of seed were given to farmers from Loutolim, 1.8 tonnes were given to farmers from Rachol and the remaining to farmers from Sancoale. The Loutolim farmers produced a good crop and kept quite a bit of it for their personal consumption.
The ZAOalso purchased the Korgut rice from the Loutolim farmers at the rate of Rs. 26 per kg, which prompted them to sell the extra yield to the department. The price for the hybrid variety of rice with the support price offered by the government works out to only Rs. 20 per kg which means the farmers earned Rs. 6 more over every kg of Korgut paddy sold.
ZAO Dattatraya Pandit said the extra amount was paid for Korgut variety only because it is totally organic rice with no chemical fertilizer used. This season he plans to distribute 10 tonnes of the seed in Loutolim alone.
Korgut can be marketed as totally organic rice produced in Goa except that Goa does not have the facility to certify any produce as organic. Incidentally, Chorao farmers are already marketing the Korgut variety of rice with great success.
