Daijiworld Media Network - Canacona

Canacona, Oct 19: Farmers in Canacona’s tribal belt are hoping to earn good returns this Dussehra following the stoppage of marigold flower imports from neighbouring states.

The Agriculture Department, through its zonal offices, has been distributing marigold saplings to interested farmers in Canacona taluka to meet the local demand for flowers.

Zonal Agriculture Officer Mahendra Pagi said that, for the first time, as many as 60,000 saplings were distributed among farmers in Cotigao, Gaondongrim and Shristhal villages.

Pagi said Laxman Sonu Gaonkar of Badsarem, Gaondongrim, Kanta Bhagdo Velip of Bhupar, Gaondongrim, and Sonu Gaonkar of Satorlim, Gaondongrim, had opted for larger quantities of saplings and were expecting a good yield.

Around 300 farmers received yellow and orange marigold seedlings under the programme, Pagi said. The government provides a subsidy of Rs 75,000 to farmers cultivating marigold flowers on one hectare of land.

He said the crop takes around two and a half months to mature. The two varieties selected for cultivation, ‘tennis ball’ and ‘ashtaganda’, have been sourced from Maharashtra. Canacona’s soil and climatic conditions are favourable for marigold cultivation, he added.

Pagi said a large number of farmers had registered for the programme following the Agriculture Department’s appeal, considering the strong market demand for flowers.

The department is also providing guidance to farmers throughout the cultivation process, including pest and disease management, spraying, fertiliser application and harvesting, he said.

Marigold flowers witness high demand during Dussehra and Diwali. However, some farmers who have taken up cultivation have urged the Agriculture Department to keep a check on outsiders bringing in and selling flowers at lower prices, fearing that such competition could affect the sale of their produce and their expected returns.