AGRICULTURE
Paddy Past, Cocoa Present

GOA hasn't fared less than miserably in agriculture. Politically, however, the State has an MP as the Union Minister of State for Agriculture in Shripad Naik. Whether this heartening fact will usher in a bumper harvest for Goan in the foreseeable future remains a debatable point, knowing fairly well that the traditional rice cultivation has passed its prime long ago. The government now offers a more lucrative option in cocoa cultivation, which commands a global demand in the burgeoning confectionery industry.

The new alternatives

Looking back, we find that the State witnessed the introduction of sugarcane as a cash crop after Liberation. However, the meagre yield scarcely sufficed to keep the Sanjeevany Sugar Factory crushers moving. With a limited quantity of cane and that too of a poor quality, loads of sugarcane had to be procured from the neighbouring States. Today, the Sanjeevany Sugar factory faces a serious financial crisis. It urgently needs Rs.1 crore to pay the cultivators, who supplied the cane. The cultivators too are demanding a raise in the price of cane because they find it uneconomical to continue selling their produce at the prevailing rates.

About a couple of years ago, someone hit upon a plan that oil palm plantation would be Goa's right choice for cultivation...and rubber too appeared promising. But people in the know of things seem to believe that the results have not been satisfying.

Horticulture

Horticulture too surfaced recently but only to harvest a horticulture corporation. Of course, Goa is supposed to possess about 5,300 hectares of land where fruits like banana, mango, pineapple, etc are grown and about 64,450 metric tonnes of fruits are produced yearly. Perhaps, this quantity of fruit too is rather insufficient to induce the growth of the food processing/canning industry in Goa. The produce, however, is hardly the fruit of the horticulture corporation. The Agriculture department distributes mango grafts and coconut sapplings rather half-heartedly at the beginning of every monsoon, but the quality of the plants distributed free need not necessarily be good.

Coconuts, of course, are grown in sufficient but their prices used to increase every year. However, during the last year, coconut producers were cursing their fate when the coconut prices fell abysmally with the advent of cheaper coconuts from Kerala. According to the Director of Agriculture, W M Khade, small holdings, high cost of labour, uncomanised market and the absence of land records are the major hurdles which affect the development of horticulture in Goa.

Floriculture is also being touted consistently as Goa's reply to Kerala and other places where exotic flowers are grown and nets profits from exports. And now we have the cocoa crop coming. It is hoped that at least cocoa will be a rewarding experience for the beleagured Goan agriculturists, at least the remaining few.

Cocoa

The good news that cocoa will be introduced in Goa this year was disclosed by Minister Shripad Naik recently. The minister said that the domestic production of cocoa in the country has doubled during the past 15 years and that the participating industry has kept pace with the substantial growth. There are as many as 15 companies directly or indirectly engaged in the processing and marketing of cocoa products. Several experts gathered in Goa to discuss about the development of cocoa production in the country.

For Goa, cocoa will be a totally new crop. It is supposed to be a fine intercrop, with a tremendous demand in the confectionery industry globally. But it is to be seen whether the plantation will adapt to Goa's climatic conditions. Of course, good rainfall and soil moisture availability is conducive to cocoa growth, but the pattern of distribution of rainfall in Goa is becoming quite erratic in recent years.

The various subsidies available and a buy-back agreement proposed by the government could induce farmers to shift to cocoa cultivation. It also has a potential to generate ample employment. But will the Goan farmer, in particular, be convinced by the arguments in favour of cocoa development?

State of Goan agriculture

In general, new agricultural schemes keep cropping up now and then, aided by the State government. But only the lucky or the sly few emerge as the sole beneficiaries. We may not even have to rely on the vagaries of the monsoon anymore. Selaulim has already been providing water, of course, by submerging human habitation and uprooting people who are yet to compensated adequately. The availability of irrigation facilities generally stimulates agricultural growth tremendously. Very soon, Tillari too will begin watering Goa's north.

But with the Goan outlook and lifestyle having been subjected to a sea change with the advent of urbanisation and TV culture, which young Goan would be eager to hold a plough or ride a tractor, and that too in fields, which have to put up with the machinations of prawn farmers? Moreover, how many Goan parents would now encourage their kids to grow rice, cocoa and orchids ignoring medicine and science for their education?

If Goans themselves do not turn around and analyse seriously the avenues available, the State will only be burdened with educated but unemployable young population. With all the loud talk, we will have to continue looking up to other States for foodgrains as also for beef, mutton, chicken, milk and every other thing. In the process, we will have to continue cursing the influx of non-Goan labour from the neighbouring States.

Mechanised ploughs and harvesters are yet to achieve acceptance amidst our primitive ways of cultivating. Anyway, Goan families somehow manage to sow paddy and, depending upon how the monsoon behaves, can even expect a bumper crop. But the real crunch comes at harvest-time. Goa has to rely increasingly on Karnataka labour if the ripened paddy has to reach the koddo (barn). So, when cocoa comes, will Goans get themselves employed wholeheartedly, gainfully in the novel venture? Probably, we may even expect cocoa to bring along the necessary labour too from wherever it is available, to undertake its cultivation.