MARGAO
With monsoon playing truant and the skies yet to open up even in mid-June, the Paddy Man of Goa Fr George Quadros has descended in the fields to kick-start the paddy transplanting operations, saying the prevailing conditions have not left the farmers with many options, but to take chances.
In fact, host of tractors and mechanical transplanters are all set to roll into the “Patto fields”, near St Sebastian Chapel, Chinchinim during the weekend as the Chinchinim Agricultural Club has decided to go ahead with the transplanting operation on Saturday.
Fr George conceded that the monsoon has played truant this year, with the delayed monsoon only delaying the sowing operations. Asked how he intends to go about the job of transplanting the paddy at the Patto fields, Chinchinim on Saturday, Fr George said “the paddy fields may not be playing host to the normal rain water, but the moisture and wet condition of the soil is enough to transplant the paddy. Since the monsoon is nowhere around even in mid-June, we have decided to take a chance and go ahead with the transplanting operations.”
Sources said Fr George and his team have decided to take help of the recent pre-monsoon showers that lashed Salcete countryside to kick-start the transplanting operations. In fact, transplanting operations are believed to have started at around two-three places taking advantage of the pre-monsoon rains.
Taking chances by going ahead with the transplanting operations when the monsoon is yet to hit the State, the Paddy Man of Goa, however, is worried over the weeds taking shape in the fields in the coming days. “The delayed monsoon may facilitate growth of weeds in the fields. This is only aspect farmers may be worried about. However, since we use drones in our agricultural operations, we intend to curb the menace of weeds mechanically. But, farmers at large will have to physically get down in the fields to take up the de-weeding operations,” he added.
Fr George, however, said he and the farmers have no idea what lies in store for the agriculturists this agriculture season. “We had the pre-monsoon showers and then came the cyclonic weather conditions and the dry spell. We do not know how the climatic conditions will unfold in the coming days,” he added.
President of Chinchinim Agricultural Club, Agnelo Furtado said the club has drawn up plans to bring three lakh square metres of fallow land at the “Patto” fields under cultivation this season with the help of Fr George Quadros. “This is the first time in decades that the fields at Patto will be brought under cultivation through mechanisation. Since the farmers were all set for the operation, it has been decided to start the transplanting operations on Saturday,” Furtado said.
The Chinchinim Agricultural Club led by Agnelo Furtado had taken up the Patto fields for cultivation buoyed by the success of the Digaum bandh fields success last season. The club had brought the fallow agricultural fields at Digaum bandh under cultivation and the successful experiment have spurred the club and Furtado to bring the fallow Patto fields under cultivation this season.
