SANGUEM: A large number of people living in the hinterland of Sanguem taluka are largely dependent on farming for their livelihood, particularly cash crops like sugarcane and cashew cultivation, along with dairy farming.
As the Sanjivani Sugar Factory shows no signs of starting in the near future, sugarcane cultivation is currently in decline, with many farmers opting for alternate crops.
Given the high cost of fodder and the lackadaisical attitude of the State’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, many youngsters have given up dairy farming, which they had enthusiastically ventured into only recently. Even though two major occupations of Sanguem locals are now being shunned, what is alarming is that the third occupation, namely cashew cultivation, is also facing severe problems and threatens to follow suit.
“While the government urges people, particularly the youth, to take up agriculture, the lack of desired support and follow-up measures makes us wonder whether we should continue with cashew cultivation,” said Rajanikant Naik, a farmer.
He mentioned the inordinate delays in reimbursing the subsidy to farmers, along with no checks on the import of cashew nuts into the State, resulting in cashew cultivation losing its glory.
Sayaji Dessai, who has been leasing cashew cultivations from the Goa Forest Development Corporation for years, pointed out another problem people like him face.
“While it is true that cashew yield has increased and hence farmers’ income too, the annual increase of 10 percent for leasing the cashew cultivations overturns the economics of the occupation,” he said. “We are compelled to take the lease; otherwise, we would be rendered unemployed with no source of income at all,” he added.
Besides, he lamented that the Corporation does not clean the land, although it is supposed to, due to which the person who bags the lease is forced to clean the area to enable them to collect the cashews, thereby increasing their expenses. “It is quite unfortunate that the Corporation only leases the cultivations and does nothing to maintain them, like replacing the dead trees or non-yielding trees,” he said. Dessai cautioned that if this manner of functioning by the Corporation does not change, the younger generation will shy away from this major activity in the future.
Another cause of concern for cashew cultivators is the decline in demand for cashew feni in the last three or four years, due to which last year’s stock is still lying with the distillers. Anthony Vaz, who is in the distilling business, pointed out that a kolso, or 18 bottles of cashew feni, is sold for Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000.
“However, since the government intensified checking at Goa’s borders with Karnataka and Maharashtra, the sale of cashew feni has dropped drastically,” he said.
He pointed out that earlier, most tourists used to take cashew feni as a souvenir from Goa, using the permit issued by the Excise Department. However, as that permit is valid only for taking the alcohol to Daman or Diu, tourists have stopped taking cashew feni with them.
Sayaji Dessai attributed the increase in cashew feni price as another reason for the drop in its sale. “As cheaper alcohol is available, people opt for them instead,” said Dessai. Given the cost involved in paying the labourers to collect the fruit and in distillation, there is no scope at all to reduce the price, he said.
Cashew cultivators urge the government to work out a solution so that cashew cultivation thrives rather than dying a slow death like sugarcane cultivation.
