MARGAO: Paddy cultivation is seeing a gradual but definite growth with nearly 25 hectares of additional area brought under cultivation through the mechanised transplantation scheme.
In Salcete for the present Rabi crop 56.59 hectares of land has been cultivated under the mechanised transplantation while last year the area covered under this scheme was only 32.60 hectares.
Although more area has been brought under mechanised transplantation the increase in number of farmers using the scheme is negligible. While last year 81 farmers had used the mechanised transplanting scheme, this year the number of farmers benefitting increased to 90.
Three agencies namely Don Bosco Society at Nuvem, Nagoa Agriculture and Nicholau Rodrigues have been empanelled by the Agriculture department to do the mechanised transplantation with Don Bosco being the most preferred one.
Incidentally for the Kharif season this year, 147.97 hectares of land was cultivate through mechanised transplantation said Mahesh Bokade the mechanical agriculture officer.
The cost of transplanting in the mechanised manner is Rs 3, and the farmer pays only Rs 1.50 to the person who later collects the balance amount from the agriculture department.
Besides farmers also cultivate by broadcasting where on an average around 60 kgs of seed is needed to cultivate one hectare of land. This season the Goa Bagayatdar Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Saunstha through its Margao office has sold quite a bit of seed to farmers.
Officials at the office disclosed that 150 kgs of Jaya variety, 14,000 kgs of Jyoti variety and 950 kgs of Karjat variety seeds have been sold to farmers.
While the cost of the seed of all three varieties is the same i.e. Rs. 36 per kg, the difference lies in when it is ready for harvesting.
Jaya is ready for harvesting in four to four and a half months while Jyoti and Karjat are ready for harvesting in three months and hence Jyoti is the preferred variety.