The coffee and areca growers in the region in specific are cribbing over the rise in temperature because the heat is killing their plants and the crop as well. It has not yet rained in the hobli. Though thick clouds gather and thunders roll, the hobli is yet to get a good shower. Due to this, the coffee growers are sceptical about the yield of coffee this year as the flowers have failed to bloom in good numbers due to lack of rain.
“Half of April is gone and the hobli has not received even half an inch of rain. Scorching heat is killing the plants. How to carry on with farming,” questions a disheartened farmer. The farmers who have artificial irrigation system have somehow managed to get the flower bloom paying very high price. But whatever it is, failure of summer rain has literally burnt the flowers. In some places, optimistic growers are trying out irrigation systems to save the flowers.
“Earlier, it used to rain even when it was 33 degrees. Now the temperature has shot up to 38 degrees. Yet, there is no rain. It rains when we are out to dry the beans but now when we want rains to save our crops, it does not even drizzle,” says a farmer who has given up hopes of making profits this year. The growers who are already shook by labour crisis and crop loss due to untimely rains are now shedding tears over shortage of rains.
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