Many sericulturists here sometimes grow cucumber in an attempt to earn some extra money - but at the same time, they know that there is a chance of losing the money they had invested in the crop.

Commercial crops like tomato, potato, cauliflower and cucumber are some of the alternative crops grown by farmers here. Given the right market situation and supply of produce, a bumper price for the crop is definite.

But unfortunately, due to lack of comprehensive information, local farmers are badly hit by the fluctuation in the price they get for their produce.

“Last year, I had planted cucumber in half an acre of land, investing over 5,000 rupees. Then I earned Rs 50,000.
This year, the expenses have been higher, and my investment has gone down. Soon after harvesting, the crop would fetch Rs 700 a sack, now it has gone down to 200, increasing our losses,” says Girish, a farmer from Kotahalli.

This is a sad tale echoed by most farmers of the area. For all the work it does, horticultural department might well not exist. There are a lot of complaints that officers do not approach the farmers to give them more information.

When contacted, the authorities have a stock reply - that their department is shortstaffed.

Which leaves the farmer with no clear idea as to what crop should be grown during which season.