Rains, clouds worry coffee growers
The region is filled with the smell of coffee pulping and the processing of superior arabica beans is going on in full swing all over the hobli. The prolonged cloudy weather followed by frequent drizzles and rains have already done much harm to arabica crops and rain fed, swollen coffee beans have busted and fallen on the ground. Finally, the processing works have started amidst hide and seek of sun and rain.
Most of the arabica plantations are suffering due to lack of workers.
It is only in Basarikatte and Kalasa hobli that a handful of arabica plantations that are producing quality beans.
The day the beans are plucked, the ripe seeds are separated from the green ones and are sent for pulping to make parchment coffee.
Kalasa Estate in the region has a highly advanced machine of Rs 35 lakh which can prepare parchment in one hour using minimum workers.
All speculation about crop loss, fall in price etc have gone wrong in case of Arabica.
The crop is good and this has brought satisfaction to the growers to some extent.
