Coffee growers have expressed their severe disappointment over the manifestoes of various political parties as none of the  manifestoes have reflected the problems faced by the coffee industry in the region.

The crop that had been earning Rs 3,000 crores foreign exchange for the country every year, is facing severe problems in the last 5-6 years due to natural calamities and price collapse and hence the growers said that it was unbecoming of the parties to sideline the coffee industry.

But it is regrettable that no party has reflected the crisis in its election manifesto, said Karnataka Belegarara Okkuta President Dr N K Pradeep Kumar.

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, he said people’s representatives have just expressed their support to coffee-related movements so far, but nobody have taken a lead.

Hence, we will write to all candidaes regarding our problems. We will appeal the growers to support only those who declare that they are committed towards solving the problems, he said.

When asked whether they would boycott elections if nobody answers in affirmation, he said “that will be left to the discretion of the growers”.

Encroachment
Government should provide permanent solution to the encroachment problems, while loans of small and marginal farmers should be waived. Growers are apprehending over chances of Berry Borer to the coffee plants, as 50 per cent of the potential yield has been destroyed due to untimely rains.

Even then, the Coffee Board has failed to bring this to the attention of the Centre. Board should take immediate steps to survey the losses, Dr Kumar urged.

General Secretary Mohan Kumar said people who have been cultivating in their lands for the past 30-40 years have been caught under problems as all deputy commissioners coming to the district are taking their individual views regarding encroachment issue.

Though there are provisions to allot government lands to those who are vacated from reserve forests, the district administration is trying to give coffee plantations to them in and around Alduru.

The deputy commissioner is acting like a dictator when popular government is not in power, he alleged.

He said that the  Deputy Commissioner  should not create any problems to the coffee growers until a popular government comes to power and takes a uniform decision regarding encroachment.

Attikatte Jagannath, Mruthyunjaya, Mujahid, M S Lingappa Gowda, H R Basappa, D M Vijay, S V Shankar and several other dignitaries were present in the press meet.