ALFRED FERNANDES
SANGUEM: The farmers of Quepem have been on a roll. After tasting sweet success with a good harvest of strawberries, one of four self-help groups that have been cultivating the luscious fruit in the hilly areas of Verlem and Tudov in Netravali, has now debuted a cauliflower plantation and is thrilled with the result.
They had cultivated the vegetable on a small parcel of farmland to begin with, but with the yield surpassing all expectations, the farmers have decided to continue growing it alongside strawberries and a host of other crops in the coming season. Cauliflower, incidentally, is among those food crops that thrive in moderate temperatures with plentiful sun and moist soil.
There is also no need for the farmers to travel to the market to sell off their harvest. The ever-rising demand for organically grown produce has resulted in people making a beeline to the farm itself to purchase fresh cauliflowers and strawberries. And although the diameter of the vegetable is small, it is grown without any pesticides and is sold for anywhere between Rs 30 and 50 per piece.
Riding high on their wave of success, the farmers of Verlem believe that the agriculture department should spur other farmers in the region to also experiment with growing new crops, as Goa’s weather, they say, is suitable for production of major vegetables that are currently procured from the neighbouring states.
