Mapusa: Two farmers from Paliem village in Pernem are demonstrating how agriculture, when combined with innovation, planning and perseverance, can become a sustainable source of income and employment.Ravlu Parab, a young farmer, has revived his family’s fallow farmland along with his brothers, experimenting with marigold to ensure a steady income throughout the agricultural season.Undeterred by crop losses caused by wild animals, the family has adopted modern farming practices and leveraged govt schemes in agriculture and horticulture to strengthen its venture.Parab said the horticulture corporation has been supporting the marketing of his produce, while marigold flowers enjoy good demand in the local market, including direct purchases from the farm.By scheduling marigold flowering towards the end of the bhendi (okra) season, he has ensured continuity in income.He is now planning to introduce watermelon cultivation in the next season.“Instead of running after a govt job, young people should bring their ancestral farmland back under cultivation. With proper planning, hard work, modern techniques and the benefits of govt schemes, agriculture can generate an income that may exceed a salaried job,” Parab said.His farming enterprise also provides regular employment to seven to eight labourers, demonstrating agriculture’s potential to support livelihoods beyond the farm-owning family.“Do not sell your farmland. Preserve it, cultivate it and stand firmly on your own feet,” he said.Another encouraging example comes from Sampada Tari of Bhandarwada, Paliem, whose marigold cultivation has transformed her field into a vibrant flower garden.Her efforts highlight the growing role of women in agricultural entrepreneurship and the potential of floriculture to generate rural income.“We have planted 2,500 marigold plants and are producing two different varieties of marigolds. Most of the seedlings required for cultivation are from our own nursery. The seedlings are also in demand from farmers in Pernem taluka.”The initiatives also complement Goa’s efforts to strengthen local horticulture. Around five lakh locally produced marigold plants have been distributed to farmers across the state this year, according to directorate of agriculture.
