Agriculture & Horticulture

Agriculture & horticulture in Kasheli

Kasheli’s landscape — sea, creek, the khar bund, slopes and uplands — supports an unusual variety of farming. Rice is the staple grain.

Paddy

The 400-year-old Desai Khar Bund keeps saltwater out and has freed roughly 300–400 acres for paddy. The land carries two crops a year — a summer crop and a monsoon crop. Banks of the two small streams, the Wayangod and the Aagamacha vahal, also bear monsoon paddy.

Coconut & areca (supari) groves

The rises above the paddy fields are densely planted with coconut and areca. Villager-funded pump schemes over the last 15–20 years have greatly expanded this cultivation.

Hapus mango & cashew

Above the homesteads sit Hapus mango orchards and cashew (kaju) groves; the rocky uplands above them are mixed paddy and grazing pasture. Kasheli’s Hapus retains a special reputation to this day.

Modern inputs & irrigation

• Under the Integrated Rural Development scheme, 25 farmer groups (5 farmers each) received electric pumps for irrigation through bank credit.
• 125 electric pumps are at work across village fields.
• 15 gobar-gas plants operate for cattle owners.
• The village has 5 flour and rice mills and one timber-cutting mill.
• A ₹ 1 crore Sawre Vahal Dam sanctioned by the state will, when complete, irrigate roughly 1,000 acres across Kasheli, Naveder and Velye villages.

An award-winning farmer

Kasheli’s Shri Sharad Balkrishna Dhanaks won first prize twice at both the taluka and district level in the Ratnagiri district paddy contest.

Co-operative support

The Kasheli Vividh Karyakari Seva Sahakari Society Ltd. — founded in 1916 — provides farmer credit, fertiliser, improved seed and a consumer store.