Villagers turn Manipura into vegetable garden

They have been growing ‘harive soppu,’ ‘yard long beans,’ cucumber, blond cucumber, kohlarbi, Okra, chilly, brinjal, sweet potato, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, raddish, ‘basale,’ ‘Gherkin’ and so on.

The villagers have been irrigating the land by constructing bunds to the small rivulets which flow in the region. In fact, these families have been earning their livelihood by growing vegetables for the last few decades. Paul D’Silva, Vincy D’Silva, John D’Silva and William D’Silva own 24 gunte land in Manipura village. By borrowing loan from the Syndicate Bank, they started growing vegetables. They grow vegetables during summer and work as farm labourers during the rest of the year. Growing vegetables has given a new life to them.

They have been growing vegetables without using any chemical insecticides. By selling vegetables in the weekly shandy, they fetch about Rs 5,000 per week.

Four families in the same village rear pigs along with growing vegetables. A family in Naganasarali has been rearing pigs from Goa and have seen successful.  

Theresa says “One can fetch profit by keeping the pigs clean and providing food on time.”