For Cristovoam C. F. Souza and his family, agriculture is something they enjoy and consider a continuous learning process as they employ trial and error in everything they do. Having received three state awards, including the Krishi Ratna award, the family explains that it is all about maintaining a balance, writes Diana Fernandes
Amidst the cool and serene village of Macazana, Cristovam Caetano Francisco Souza, his son Salvador Souza, and their family wake up at 4.30 am and begin work on their farm, which has sections for poultry, piggery, fishery, fields to grow paddy, as well as plantations of coconut, mangoes, betel nuts, and fruits like chickoos, papayas, pineapples, pomelos, limes, and many other local and exotic fruits and vegetables.
From cleaning the chicken coops, maintaining the temperature, and preparing the water and feed for the chickens, to selling the mature chickens, checking on the piggery, harvesting fruits and vegetables, and preparing for the next day, there is little time for anything else as they wrap up their day by 9 pm. But the family says the joy is in the fruit of their labour.
The love for agriculture and growing is something Cristovam has had since he was young. Having worked as a postman in Curtorim and earlier with the military, he says farming is something that brings him great joy.
“In 1992, we had some goats and some plants that we were taking care of on a hill nearby while I was working, but it was not profitable because wild animals would come and destroy all the plants we grew. Later, we decided to move to the place where we are currently based in 2002, and we have been trying our hand at various agricultural techniques since,” he says.
This included aquaculture and, since 2011, poultry, all the while using the trial-and-error method to achieve the best results. In 2011-12, he won the Best Farmer Award at the hands of then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Fr. Inacio Almeida State Agricultural Award for organic farming in 2020-21 at the hands of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and most recently, the Krishi Ratna award for 2025-26 at the hands of Governor Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
After receiving training from ICAR and with the help of state government initiatives, Salvador and his father began setting up a piggery and later established a poultry farm as well. Today, they have a well-worked system in place where the poultry sustains their family financially and an integrated farming system supports the entire farm.
Salvador explains, “We don’t have any experience other than what we have learnt here on the farm. For example, when we first set up the poultry area, we decided to allow the droppings to fall into the water below the coops, but we realised it was causing ammonia levels in the water to increase and was killing the chonak fish that were being harvested at the time. So we decided to stop fish farming, keep the existing system, and instead use the water as fertiliser for the plants.”
Today, every morning they sell anywhere between 100 and 120 chickens, while the waste is used as fodder for the piggery. Even the inputs for the chickens have gone through a trial-and-error process, which has helped reduce costs.
“Over time, we have continuously adopted cost-cutting measures. Initially, we would spend Rs 300 on glucose, but we replaced it with jaggery, which costs around Rs 150. Even when it comes to antibiotics, we generally use garlic. Garlic has many benefits for growth as well. We have learnt this through trial and error and with a lot of help from experts. So we limit the use of chemicals to a large extent,” says Salvador.
But solely relying on poultry is not the way to go, they say. “Many people are not willing to get into this business even though there is a lot of profitability. But just setting up a poultry unit is not the way to go. You have to find a balance by having other fruits, vegetables, and plants like coconuts or betel nuts as well. Our only investment today is in poultry, but the rest of the costs are covered by the profits,” they say.
As for challenges, changing climate and a lack of workforce are among their biggest concerns. “Climate change is the biggest challenge, especially in the poultry section. If it’s cold for two days, it suddenly becomes warm. This change also affects the body weight of the chicken. The right temperature is important. If it gets too cold, they don’t grow. We have to balance it with bulbs or blankets, and if it is too hot, use fans. We also try to do our best with the least amount of medicine. Our favourite antibiotic is garlic,” says Cristovam.
Labour charges, which were as low as Rs 70 per day when they first set up the farm, have today increased to around Rs 800 per day. Training workers and ensuring they stay for a reasonable period is another challenge they face.
When asked about winning the Krishi Ratna, Cristovam humbly responds, “There are many reasons for me to win this award, and the credit goes to my son and our family, who have worked together. The labourers also play a major role in the entire process, as without them we wouldn’t be able to manage everything. Government schemes helped incentivise agriculture for us as well. Initially, we didn’t know what benefits agriculture could hold, but these schemes and educational programmes have helped us. I attended a training session where I learnt about piggery and poultry.”
Moving forward with technological advancements in agriculture, the Souzas believe using them effectively is always beneficial. “In today’s time, we have to try to incorporate new technologies in agriculture because they can help balance the challenges we face. For example, we face a shortage of labourers, for which mechanised farming and the use of machines for coconut plucking have come in very handy,” they say.
And to the people of the state, they encourage adopting practices like kitchen gardens at home to bring about a different way of life. “Today, there is a lot of adulteration because of the rise in demand. Adulteration does not provide the required nutrition our bodies need. Nutrition is an important aspect of today’s life, and because of poor nutrition, diseases like diabetes and hypertension occur. So growing your own food, in a small or big way, is good for your health,” says Cristovam.
