Goa, a smallest state best known for its cultural heritage and traditional occupational practices, seems to have lost its shine due to drastic decline in traditional occupational practices, inclination of youth towards modern culture, rising urbanisation and no considerable efforts made by the governing body to conserve the traditional occupation of Goa.
A flashback
The 150-decade old practise of traditional salt farming, which yields common salt or halite rock salt as a final product, is traditional business of Mithgaudas, Gauddos, Bhandari, Agris and Agers communities of Goa.
Research says, “In the past era, the number of villages in Goa which were indulged in the traditional salt farming are now reduced to 25 per cent of its original figure. This decline in number is due to low income upon production, lack of skilled labours, competition from industrially-manufactured salt and losses incurred due to yearly damage to the embankments”.
Process of salt production
Joaquim Cabral, owner of Ribandar salt pans, while explaining the process of salt production said, “Years ago there were total 30 salt pans acquiring the area from Ribandar to Panjim city bus stand, the belt situated at the bank of river Mandovi. Currently, only two salt farms are cultivated. Rest are either filled with mud, left flooded or are kept un-cultivated.
“This is our traditional business. I have been practising the salt farming since two decades. Our family is into this business since almost 10 decades,” Cabral said.
Cabral said that the salt farming is carried out in three different phases, viz. the ceased phase past rainy season, that is from June to October, preparatory phase from December to January and cultivatory and harvesting phase from February to June.
“After the end of the monsoon, we start preparing the salt pans (Mithagar or Mithache agor) for the production of salt. Initially, the sea water is allowed to enter into the salt pans by opening of sluice gates (manos). Sluice gate is a special control mechanism used to control the flow of sea water into and out of the field”.
Adding to the process of salt making, he said, that at the very start, the electric motor pumps are used to drain the water from salt pans which are then allowed to dry naturally for around one month. “Once the pans are dried, a certain amount of water is taken inside the pan area, using which the previously damaged boundaries (mero) are repaired”, Cabral added.
“The clay is thoroughly mixed by foot stamping. Once foot stamped, the salt pan is levelled, smoothed and is allowed to dry. The salt pan is then divided into small-small blocks, termed as salterns (kundgey) separated by the boundaries (mero) on all four sides.
Explaining the process further in a sequential manner Cabral says, “Once the field becomes ready to cultivate, the water up to the level of two inch mark is made to enter inside the salt pan. This water is then allowed to set and dry in the sun. The water is regularly stirred using a stirrer (foey) to help increase the process of natural evaporation”.
“The final yield is produced in salterns by the process of natural evaporation. Salt produced initially is not collected on day-to-day basis but is allowed to remain in the salterns,” he added.
Explaining further, he said, “The required amount of water is allowed to enter the saltern through a small opening kept at the corner of each saltern. This step helps to grow the new crystals of rock salt. The gradual growth of salt results due to continuous addition of water which is known as ripening of the salt.
“If the quantity of salt produced is lower than expected or if the process of ripening is slower than the usual then the 'salt crops' (previously grown salt) are sprinkled in the salterns to increase the productivity,” Cabral explains.
Stating that the sprinkling of crops adds to the capital investment, he said, “More sprinkling means more loss. It depends on the salinity of sea water. Sprinkling becomes mandatory only when the water is less saline”.
“After the salt pan is fully filled with ripened salt, the yield is ready and can be harvested. The salt can now be collected on the daily basis,” he added.
“Since it rained at odd times these past few months, the fields remained flooded and hence the yield was reduced. Alteration of seasonal patterns and drastic climate changes has made it difficult for the farmers to cultivate salt farms.”
“This year it rained even in January which inundated the salt farms. Farms were destroyed due to increased urbanisation. Farmers gave up on farming due to obvious reasons, the major ones being losses incurred due to alternation in climatic patterns and year-long inundation of fields due to deliberate or natural damage caused to embankments/bunds,”
Elaborating more on how climate change affects the salt production, Cabral said, "Climate plays a major role in rise or decline in salt productivity. The abrupt seasonal change not only affects the yield but also de-motivates the farmer's from cultivating.
“Zero loss compensation, zero subsidies, lack of financial support by the government deter farmers from cultivating”, added Cabral.
Effect of rock salt on health of humans
Speaking to Herald, Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar, Forensic Department, Goa Medical College said, "Immensing the fish in rock salt water or marinating the fish with rock salt greatly helps remove the effect of formalin, a cancer-causing agent which is illegally used to preserve fish and prevent it from decaying”.
Adding Dr Ghodkirekar said, “Rock salt is best suited for human consumption. The much hyped concern about goitre, the disease which is caused due to deficiency of iodine had replaced rock salt with iodized salt. In reality, the replacement of rock salt over iodized salt was clearly a marketing strategy to increase the sales of industry-manufactured salt”.
He informed that the salt, irrespective whether it is iodized salt or the rock salt, should be consumed in moderation. For a heart-healthy diet, it is always advised to consume the salt in moderation. According to me, Goans should prefer rock salt since it is naturally grown with no added preservatives”, added.
Need of special provision for storing rock salt
Cabral informed that the special shelter is made for storing the salt heaps in the fields itself. Pointing at the dilapidated cement pole supporting the shelter build to store the salt in the farm, Cabral said "look at this concrete pole, the salt has eaten the pole entirely. Had it been a case that one had decided to store it at home, salt would have eaten the entire house”.
“Rock salt holds power to destroy everything including a concrete cement structure, the rock structure and even the utensils. The salt should never be stored at home. It will destroy walls of your house as well as the aluminium and steel utensils,” Cabral explained.
Differentiating between the two types of salt that is obtained as a final product, Cabral said, “The brown crystals of salt are obtained at the start of salt production process which is equally saline but is considered a waste product due to its colour and dirty appearance. This initial yield is sold for the purpose of tree cultivation, laying of earthing/earth grounds, and irrigation purpose at half a price than that of the white crystals which are obtained at the later phase”.
“This salt is not just used for the human consumption but is also used for the purpose of cultivation. Rock salt is used as a fertiliser for coconut trees to increase the production of coconuts. A tin of salt (commonly known as pailey) costs Rs 120. Since the production is low and demand is still the same, we don’t really go to sell it door-to-door but whatever is produced on day-to-day basis is sold since the customers prefer buying the salt by directly approaching us at the salt farms”, Cabral said.
Is Govt serious of protecting salt farming?
Annoyed over the promises made by the government but not kept, Antonio Pereira, a salt farmer from Batim-Tiswadi, who has stopped cultivating for the past two years said, “I have purchased electric motor pumps and other electrical equipments by spending from my own pocket. Though assured and announced, government has never sanctioned a single penny as a subsidy. The government announced subsidies and financial support schemes are ‘lollipop shown to fool the farmers’, added Antonio.
“The major reasons behind non-cultivation of salt farms is no financial support from government, lack of skilled labours and deliberate damage caused to the bunds in bait of earning more through pisciculture”, said Sulix Pereira, the owner of salt pans in Ribander. He said, “The process of salt making though easy is extremely laborious. It’s been two years I have stopped cultivating”.
Antonio further said, “due to lack of skilled labours we have dropped the plan of salt cultivation. Goa doesn’t have many skilled workers .Those who are skilled refuse to work since cultivation of salt is not an easy task and requires to put in a lot of physical efforts”.
He said that all these years they used to invite the labours from Karwar and Kumtha from Karnataka. “The labourers who had gone to their hometown due to pandemic are refusing to come back to Goa just for few months”.
“Out of 14 salt pans in Batim, hardly six are cultivated now”, added Antonio.
“This year it rained at odd times in Goa, the farms remained inundated at the time of salt production. Neither do we get any scheme from the government nor is any compensation provided when farmers are hit by natural calamity. Due to this reason, many farmers completely stopped salt cultivation, added Antonio”.
“Salt farming though is a profit making business, the unseasonal rain and winter largely affected the salt production. It becomes un-economical when your efforts go in vain due to environmental destruction and when you receive no financial support from the government, past natural disaster”, said Sulix.
“The occupation of salt farming which is evidence of rich culture of Goa is dying very fast. With the passing years, our next generation will won’t even know how the salt was produced. I would urge the people not to give up on salt farms and appeal to the government to take the necessary measures to preserve the identity of Goa”, said Sulix.
The cries of multiple salt farmers over zero financial support provided and no compact schemes made for the benefit of farmers made Herald approach the Department of Agriculture to learn about the government schemes launched for the benefit of salt farmers. An Agriculture Department official said that salt farming does not fall under Agriculture department but under the Department of Fisheries.
Fisheries Department passed the buck saying it doesn't fall under its jurisdiction. Now, the ball was passed to the office of the Collectorate. To Herald’s surprise, even the office of Collectorate denied salt farming coming under the jurisdiction of the Collector. Thus making it clear how serious the government is in preserving and boosting the traditional occupation of the State.