Rains wash out growers' dreams

The customary rain would stop by November paving way for winter season. As the rain is still pouring heavily over day and night, coffee growers are apprehensive about their coffee crops, informed Coffee Board member and coffee grower D M Vijay.The coffee beans, which were ready for plucking have withered due to rain. It has been estimated that 60 per cent of coffee crop has been destroyed in the district. Adding to it the plants are prone to 'Elechukki' disease. Vijay said that 80 per cent of the Arabica plants have shed leaves due to the disease.

Along with the coffee problem, pepper crops too have been destroyed and so the Central and the State government must come to the growers’ rescue, urged Vijay. He informed that the Board members will hold a meeting with Central Commerce Minister Anand Sharma to explain the baffling condition of coffee growers.

He informed that the Board members will hold a meeting with Central Commerce Minister Anand Sharma to explain the baffling condition of coffee growers. A plea of the growers will be put forth in front of the ministry to extend the discount rate loan facility to large scale growers in the similar lines of loan facility provided to small scale growers.

Coffee growers have been severely hit this season due to shortage of labourers as well. As the labourers from North Karnataka have not arrived for work, there is none to help the coffee growers in collecting the fallen coffee beans. Karnataka Coffee Grower's Association President Dr N K Pradeep assumes that Berry Borer disease may spread to coffee plants next year owing to excessive coffee beans fall this year. The wet atmosphere is again acting as an hindrance for coffee growers to dry the beans.

A release from Karnataka Coffee Grower's Association has urged the Coffee Board officers to visit coffee estates and conduct a survey to ascertain the situation.