Margao: The anxious wait is finally over. The downpour has brought hope, relief and joy to thousands of farmers across the state who had been praying for the arrival of the monsoon.
Goa’s farmers will now wade into the muddy fields, focusing on paddy cultivation, the state’s main crop.
For the past week, Goa’s agricultural lands stood in quiet suspense. Many farming families, with their fields neatly ploughed and soil tilled, were eagerly waiting for the life-giving rains to begin seasonal farming activities. Residents and farmers in several places even held prayer services seeking God’s intervention for rain. Their prayers were answered as the rains arrived on Sunday.
“Our worries are gone. With this rain, I started preparing my field for cultivation today. My wife also joined me,” said Jose Colaco of Nuvem.
Farming activities are largely concentrated in Curtorim, Nuvem and several other villages in Salcete.
“We are happy that the rains have finally arrived, and smiles are back on the faces of our farmers,” Director of Agriculture Sandeep Foldessai told The Navhind Times. “Though paddy cultivation is delayed by about a week, routine farming activities have now commenced in full swing.”
For Goa’s farmers, preparations had begun as soon as the first showers lashed the state a fortnight ago. Most had already kept their paddy fields fully prepared for sowing and were waiting eagerly for this moment to transition from ploughing to active sowing and transplanting. Foldessai said that the Agriculture Department had worked closely with the farming community to ensure they were fully prepared for the season despite the “slight delay”.
“The farmers had already purchased their seeds from the department at subsidised rates well in advance. We will provide all assistance to the farmers,” Foldessai said.
“Each year, we distribute around 450 tonnes of high-quality paddy seeds to farmers across Goa of three main varieties — Jaya, Jyoti and Karzat. These varieties are highly suited to our local conditions, taking anywhere between 90 to 110 days to mature.”
