By Lissy Kurian
Panaji, Nov 24, 2023: Some young members of a Goan parish are thrilled that they could reap a bumper harvest for the third consecutive year under the guidance of their pastor.
“I enjoy working in the fields. On the day of harvesting the ride on the harvester was a thrilling experience. It is worth noting how a modern machinery does the job quickly,” said Stefanie Lucas, a member of Chicalim Youth Farmers Club who filmed the harvesting process.
Expressing gratitude, the club president Shogun Fernandes thanked their parish priest Father Bolmax Pereira for guiding them. “It was a great opportunity to work in the fields,” he added.
Father Pereira of St. Francis Xavier Church, Chicalim said the young farmers faced many challenges such as late tilling and sowing, unpredictable rains and the sudden showers early November. “We were, however, hopeful of a decent yield this year.”
The 30-member club cultivated on a 15,000-square-meter farm land in August. They harvested 3.2-ton paddy rice this year.
Father Pereira said the young farmers did not use any fertilizers or even organic manure yet reaped a good harvest from the fields they managed to revive two years ago. The fields were transplanted and harvested by Greg Fernandes, a farmer from Nagoa who used his mechanized machineries such as the transplanter and harvester to complete the process, the priest added.
The priest says the club members, encouraged by the harvest, now march forward with a set goal to continue their struggle of reviving agriculture not just in their Mormugao taluka but reach out to places in South Goa.
“It was wonderful to see the joy on the faces of young farmers at the time of harvest. On the field, they are handful, yet the harvest yielded is bountiful. This goes to show that reviving our fallow lands in Goa surely brings joy to every Goan. My appeal to all Goa youth is to set their feet in the field and your hands will harvest abundant joy,” the priest added.
For Jerrico Vaz the entire exercise from ploughing to harvesting and storage has been a tiring yet satisfying experience. “As a field coordinator I am grateful to our elders, who are experienced farmers of our village, for taking time and teaching us the ways to get back to our roots, and to land owners for allowing us to use their fields.”
Kenneth D’Souza a Chicalim parishioner said the yield the youth got from the barren land, motivates him to do more. The support of Father Bolmax is very encouraging, “he added.
The Chicalim Youth Farmers Club, founded in 2021, headed by Father Pereira, who has a doctorate on Goa’s Wetlands. He has been encouraging the local youth to take up farming in a serious way.
He said he encouraged the youth to work in the fields as they are the future of Goa.
The club’s primary goal is to revive fallow fields in Chicalim and then to present agriculture as a viable economic industry. It will be mentored by traditional farmers and informed members of civil society in collaboration with St. Francis Xavier Church, Chicalim, the priest explained.
The club also promotes agriculture, defends ecological justice, supports environmental conservation and explores new learning avenues.