Aldoor Hobli Coffee Growers Association President J B Bhojegowda has urged the Central government to waive off the loan amount of the coffee growers using the funds allotted for coffee development under the 11th Five Year Plan, instead of wasting the same amount by handing it over to Coffee Board.

Coffee price fall, diseases and several other problems are haunting and threatening the growers but Board has not solved any of the problems faced by the growers.

Addressing a news conference, he said that acres of land in Balehonnur Coffee Research Centre premises has turned out to be pasture for the cattle.

The centre has been receiving crores of rupees as grants too.

 He questioned if the officials have the credibility to control the coffee rot disease while they could not control the cattle menace in their own premises.

Diseases
He said that Arabica Coffee plant has developed ‘Bilikanda Koraka’ and ‘Yele Chukki’ diseases while Robusta has been affected with other diseases. Research is being conducted on a plant species called ‘Sachimore’ which is said to be free from all these diseases.

“However, Sachimore, which is a Brazilian plant is present in many of our plantations and even this plant is not free from these diseases,” he said.

Foreign exchange
Coffee, he said has the potential to bring foreign exchange and provides employment to lakhs of people.
On one hand due to certain problems that coffee has been facing has dipped the production to 2 lakh tonnes and on the other hand the burden of loan is also too much on the producers.

Hence, he requested that the funds allotted for the revival of the coffee business must not be given to Coffee Board, which will help only a few people, but the same amount must be utilised for clearing off the loan burden of the growers.

He demanded that Union Minister for Commerce and Finance Minister must visit the region to understand the pangs of the growers and chalk out a relief and compensation plan for the growers.
He said that along with the waiver of loan, steps must also be taken to provide fresh loans at 4 per cent interest and the Vidharbha package must be implemented in private banks too.