Rain destroys Mattu Gulla crop in Udupi

Untimely rain that lashed Udupi district four days ago has destroyed Mattu Gulla— a special variety of brinjal, which is grown exclusively in and around Mattu, leaving farmers in distress. 

The plants grown on fields in Mattu and Kaipunjal area in Kote gram panchayat limits have been washed away in rain. The worst affected farmers are those who cultivated it in Mattu. 

The brinjal was grown on 20 acre land in Mattu and Kaipunjal. However, untimely rain has washed away the plants. Seeds for Mattu Gulla are sown in the month of September after the monsoon. The gulla is available by the month of January. There is high demand as soon as it enters the market. With water inundating the field, even the remaining plants have rotten and died. Along with Mattu Gulla plants, fertilisers used for the cultivation have also been washed away in the rain. A farmer said “I had cultivated Mattu Gulla in one-and-a-half acre of land on my field. But the flooding that occurred because of heavy rains few days ago damaged all the brinjal plants. All the farmers who have grown Mattu Gulla have been affected,” he added.

“The brinjal plants were ready to flower and bear fruits when rain lashed the region. At the same time, farmers are not showing keen interest in growing Mattu Gulla in the recent years.

 We have to till the land and sow brinjal seeds. However, owing to shortage of labourers, we are not able to grow in large area. We may not be able to supply Mattu Gulla for the Udupi Paryaya celebrations,” said farmers. 

“We had only hoped that heavy rain would not strike now. Devastation caused by the rain is irrepairable.”

Mattu Gulla Belegarara Sangha Vice Presiden Parameshwara Adhikari said “hundreds of families are dependent on Mattu gulla. According to the legend, Sri Vadiraja of Sode Mutt gave the seeds of this special brinjal to farmers of Mattu to cultivate. The farmers here have been cultivating Mattu Gulla for over 500 years now. With the rain, farmers have incurred a huge loss. The government has been neglecting the farmers by not providing suitable compensation for the loss. We want the small vented dam at Mattu-Kopla to be repaired for leakage in its gates. Without the plugging off the leakage rivulet water flows backwards in summer. As a result, saline water destroy crops. Inspite of submitting petitions, the elected representatives have failed to come to our rescue. If the leakage in the dam is not plugged, then farmers         who grow paddy and Mattu Gulla will face problem in the future.”