Team Herald
MARGAO: Agriculture Department’s Mechanical Cultivation unit at Margao has brought additional 30 hectares under cultivation as this year they are cultivating 180 hectares of land through mechanised transplantation as against the 150 hectares cultivated similarly last year.
The department has identified three agencies to carry out mechanised transplantation and they are Fr George Quadros of Don Bosco Fathers Loutolim, Gregory Fernandes of Grey Agro Services Verna and Agustinho Figueredo. Agustinho is using the walk behind cultivator and as he is new and will be transplanting in only 15,000 sq mts while Fr George will be transplanting 130 hectares and Gregory around seven hectares.
While the cost of cultivating one sqmt with mechanised transplantation is calculated to be Rs three, the farmer has to pay only 50 per cent of that with the government paying the service provider the remaining 50 per cent as an incentive.
Twenty five hectares will be cultivated with mechanised transplantation for the first time in Seraulim this year while at Majorda this technology will be used on 10 hectares of land near the cemetery. Mechanical Cultivator Mahesh Bokade expressed happiness that mechanised transplantation is working with more people opting for it.
“However, there is only one problem with mechanised transplantation which is it needs de-weeding to be undertaken which is less required when cultivation is by broadcasting though the yield is higher in mechanised transplantation,” he said.
Zonal Agriculture Officer Margao Anil Noronha disclosed that during the rabi crop around 1,500 hectares of land is cultivated in Salcete while the same goes up to 5,200 hectares for the kharif season and pointed out that many farmers still carry on manual transplantation or broadcast cultivation.
He said areas where there is quite extensive paddy cultivation for the present season is Paroda, Raia, Verna, Manora and Curtorim and regretted that cultivation in the coastal belt has decreased due to various reasons.
The Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Saunstha Maryadit at Margao has sold around 5,000 kgs of seed to farmers and much of it will be used for broadcast cultivation. Interestingly, while most farmers use either Jyoti or Jaya variety for cultivation one farmer from Benaulim has cultivated Basmati rice on two acres of land and after harvesting it will be taken to Maharashtra for polishing.
