TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Watermelon cultivators from Verna may have had a bad season this year because of the adverse cold weather conditions.
But this farmer from Seraulim had a virtual windfall as he recorded a bumper harvest of juicy watermelons. So much so, that the farmer Camilo Ferrao, tied up with the Goa Horticulture Corporation for purchase of the watermelons from his farm for sale across the State.
Says Agriculture officer, Anthony Rego, “Farmers from Verna had a lean season this year because of the cold conditions. But Ferrao had a good season compared to his Verna counterparts. People of Goa prefer smaller varieties of watermelons and the Agriculture Department responded to the demand by making available seeds of varieties such as Ayesha and Kiran.” Rego appealed to the farming community to approach the Agriculture Department in terms of subsidized items such as seeds, tractors etc. “We have a lot of subsidised schemes for the farmers not only for paddy growers, but horticulturists as well,” Rego added.
This is the third successive year that Camilo had grown watermelons in his village with the help of half-a-dozen labourers. “This year, the Agricultural Department helped me with seeds and tractors. I am indeed indebted to Rego and the Agricultural Department for their help and assistance,” Camilo said.
