UNFAVOURALE WEATHER CONDITION: SATARI FARMERS A WORRIED LOT by Abdulla Khan, Valpoi

VALPOI: Cashew cultivation is the primary occupation of people in Satari while extraction of juice and production of feni or urak is considered as secondary.  Hectares of land are covered under cashew plantation in the taluka and farmers during the summer season remain occupied with it.

Cashew Feni/Ur'rak distillation in progress in Satari

As per experts suitable weather conditions in Satari has always favoured good yields. However, it is a different story this year. Cashew yield this year has been less compared to previous years and the farmers from taluka attributed this to heavy fog which damaged the flowering of cashew plants in the initial days of the season. The zonal agriculture officer, Mr Anant Hoble said that there will be low yield of cashew apples this year and that it will adversely affect the feni and urak production. He said that at the initial stages of the season the flowering of cashew plants was good but due to the change in weather conditions there was a drastic drop in the fruiting of the crop.

"Present survey indicates that there is poor yield. On an average 22-25 per cent drop in the cashew yield has been noted from the increased rates of cashew nuts this year" he stated. "The cashew yield in areas like Keri, Poriem and Charavne is relatively good compared to Savordem and Nagargao areas," he added.

He, however, expressed hope that if it rains before mid of May then the figures might change and the result would be in favour of local farmers.

Excise inspector, Mr Hanumant Desai also confirming about poor cashew yield this year noted that there is 20 per cent drop in the production of cashew apple.

According to him sudden change in weather is the only reason for the poor yield. He also informed that there were less bidders involved in auctioning of cashew plantation zones this year.

Meanwhile, when this reporter visited some areas it was learnt that there were less distiller pots installed on the ‘bhattis’ and farmers were expressing their resentment over poor yield. Mr Shyam Haldankar, who has a distillation point on the outskirts of Copordem village, said that this year the yield of cashew apple has been less, adding that, poor yield will affect the production of urak and feni in the taluka.

Every year they used to set up eight distiller pots to prepare the urak, but this year due to poor yield they are managing just by six pots. On the other hand some feni producers expressed concern as how they would repay loans they had obtained for feni production and urged government to help them.