![LITTLE FARM HANDS: These children have decided to take things in their hands by planting cashew, whose production has declined in recent years.](http://media.assettype.com/gomantaktimes%2F2024-06%2F3f0bfba7-aa27-4d48-a58f-2d6d450ff35e%2FImp_template_for_GT___17_.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
Go to Russia, and you’ll discover their heritage of drinking vodka. Go to Germany and you’ll be served beer; and if you take a trip to Japan you’ll get to taste sake. What drinks are people served in Goa? Well, undoubtedly, its feni. But over the last few years, the cashew production, due to various factors, has been dwindling and that’s affecting the feni distillation.
Noticing the gradual decline of the crop, feni concierge Hansel Vaz of Cazulo decided to start a unique campaign of planting 1000 cashew saplings.
This year around 13 children, along with their parents came together and planted the saplings at Nuvem. “This year, we planted in the Anuz farm owned by the Figueiredo family. Fatima Figueiredo (owner of the farm) is 80 years old, but has the enthusiasm of a 30-year-old. She is also the sister of late Mario Miranda,” said Vaz.
The idea germinated in 2023, after Dr Noel Barbosa from Cansaulim, wanted to plant a few hundred cashew saplings to fill a barren patch on a hill. A lot of land in Salcete holds degraded cashew orchards, either the trees are senile or have died.
“So last year, Dr Noel and I sourced these saplings from the Forest Department, who have been very conscientiously growing cashew selections from the best trees on their property,” informs Vaz. Prodded by Dr Noel, the duo took one step further and decided they will not only source the cashew, but will also help the landlord grow it.
And how did they do this? They did it by involving friends and family. They invited all their friends, along with their children, and encouraged them to put their hands to the mud.
Digging and planting could never have been so much fun. All the work on the farm put happy smiles on the faces of children. For six-year-old Charlie, it was all about increasing he cashew production . “I liked planting the cashew saplings in the farm because that will make more cashew nuts and I love cashew nuts,” he said.
Concerned about the environment, Micah Robert (6) said, “I planted the cashew trees so when they grow they will turn the hill green and there will be oxygen, shade and fruit for both the people and the birds.”
Speaking on the quality of sapling planted, Vaz said, from a farmer’s perspective these local cashew selections are hardy, acclimatized to our environment and also have better resistance to pests. However from a feni perspective, the Bali cashew gives a very juicy fruit for feni.”
It takes seven years to reap the first cashew harvest. Explaining how the saplings are planted, Georgia Antao (4) said; “before you put the sapling in the hole, remember to remove the paper because the roots need to grow,” Zoe Antao (7) added; “you should put coconut husk after planting the sapling so that the water does not get dried up fast.”
Does it cost much? “No, planting pays for our future. We will have green hills that are productive while providing economic benefit to the landholder for the future. We involved children because they are our future and they need to get a planet as good if not better than what we had,” quipped Vaz.
By growing it themselves, the kids learnt the skill and had fun, but more importantly connected with their land and their roots.