Goa’s Best Farmers’ Club?

We’re proud to let you know that the Chodan-Madel Farmers’ Club was recently selected by NABARD as the best performing Club amongst the 43 Farmers’ Clubs in Goa.

Mr. P. Mahambare receives the "Best Farmers Club" Award on behalf of the Chorao Farmers Club

This award (for 2009-10) includes a cash prize of Rs 5,000/- and additional institutional support of Rs 5,000/-. It was presented to us at a special event on April 29th, 2010.

We’d like to thank the many, many people that have supported us in different ways over the last two years.

Mr. Deol - judged the 'Best Branch Manager' under the Farmers Club Program for 2009-10

The other good news is that our Central Bank of India Branch Manager, Mr. Amrik Singh Deol was identified as the ‘Best Branch Manager’ under the Farmers Club Program. A hearty congratulations to him and we thank him for his unstinting support!

Going, going, gone for 2010.

Thanks to amazing support from mancurad mango lovers in Goa, we are now all out of AAMche Chorao Mancurad mangoes for this year.

Sorry if we missed you out this season, but we’ll be back next year. You can pre-order your mangoes in March 2011 by calling us on 9552 52 52 60

AAMche Chorao Mancurad…Available NOW!!

We are now bringing our juciest and best mancurad mangoes direct to your doorstep (in select localities – see below). Each box of AAMche Chorao Mancurad contains one dozen delicious mangoes, naturally ripened and ready to eat.

We can deliver to you in the following neighbourhoods — Bambolim, Caranzalem, Dona Paula, Fontainhas/Mala, Merces, Miramar, Panjim, Porvorim, Ribandar, Santacruz and Taleigao.

To order your mangoes,

call us on 9552 52 52 60 (only 300 boxes available)

Enjoy the mango season

Visit to Nabar’s Mango Orchard (Vengurla)

We visited Bhooshan Nabar’s mango orchard in Vengurla yesterday (22nd March) to understand how mangoes are made ready for the market once harvested. Below are photos from the visit.

Bhooshan Nabar (foreground) and Sajjan with the mango orchard in the background

Nabar prefers to keep the undergrowth in check for fear of fires during the dry months

Alphonso tree laden with fruit

Because the trees have been regularly pruned, they are short and bear fruit so low that you could crouch under the branches and pluck them. Walli takes a moment to capture some photos

Pheromone traps are a simple and effective way to attract and trap insects that may damage the mangoes. Similar pheromone traps are available at the ZAO's office or even at Ela Farm in Old Goa.

Mango trees need looking after. Nabar digs a ring around the base of the tree at a distance of approximately 30 feet from the trunk. This ring is used to fertilise the tree. He uses bonemeal, dolomite (lime with Calcium and Magnesium), cow-dung and super-phosphate. Keeping the ring mulched helps retain moisture.

Mangoes being harvested

Freshly harvested mangoes

Nabar shows us his new plantation (3 years old). A bore-well and a drip irrigation system ensures that the trees get the water the need. The land is rocky and undulating, much like portions of land on our island of Chorao. No reason why we can't make similar plantations on our lands

(From left to right) Kalangutkar, Santosh, Mahambare, Walli, Sajjan, Nabar, Abreu (back), Arjun, Ramesh (back), Prava

National Recognition for Chorao Farmer

Premanand Mahamabre felicitated by Ministry of Agriculture

Premanand Mahambare, the current President of our Club was among the 101 small and marginal farmers felicitated at the hands of the Union Minister for Agriculture, Shri Sharad Pawar, on the 26th of February 2010.

The Ministry of Agriculture has brought out a coffee table book titled “Harvest of Hope” that documents the role of small and marginal farmers in keeping the wheels of agriculture turning in India. 101 farmers from across the length and breadth of the country were identified and felicitated by the Minister at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi.

Needless to say, the Club is proud of his achievements.

Read the official press release about the event here.

And more about the book and event here.

Club Presentation at State Credit Seminar – NABARD

On the 16th of February NABARD conducted its annual State Credit Seminar. At this seminar NABARD outlines its plans for the coming financial year.

Like last year, members of the Chorao Farmers Club were asked to make a presentation of our activities. Presentations included experience sharing from the Club’s President, the Branch Manager of the Central Bank (to which we are linked) and from TERI (the organisation which we work with).

(click here for TERI’s presentation [PDF- 4.3MB] )

Following the presentation, officers from NABARD, the Central Bank Regional and Branch Office visited the Farmers Club. Discussions with the 11-Member Committee were followed by a visit to farms nearby where some farmers are involved in an experiment on growing exotic vegetables (broccoli, Chinese cabbage and capsicum).

NABARD and Central Bank officials visit Madel Fields

Uh-oh! Pest Attack!

Several of us have had a problem with our Capsicum crop, as well as the local varieties of chillies that we grow.

The Problem: Leaves of the capsicum plan seem to be shriveling up and are not growing in size.

Shriveled up leaves of Capsicum

The diagnosis: Scientists from the KVK visited the farms where this seemed to be a problem. They suggest that this is a problem of fungal attack as well as that of white flies.

Dr. Prabhu and Dr. Rajnarayan visit affected farms

They also suspect that due to very high moisture levels (because of a low water table) and excessive watering the fungal attack was seen more in low-lying and not so much in upland areas.

Solutions: There were a couple of approaches taken to try and address the issue:

Sprinkle the following

1. wood/burnt cow-dung ash on the plants
2. a solution of burnt cow-dung ash in water (soaked for 24 hrs)
3. a neem-based water solution (though this was found to also contain the chemical epichlorohydrin )

It remains to be seen which of the above has been most effective.

Samiksha sprays her chilly crop with neem-based insecticide

Despite attack, Capsicum seems to be growing well in some pockets