Incessant rains worry coffee growers

Owing to the heavy rains and severe cold, coffee beans have started falling in some of the estates in Malnad. In some estates, coffee is affected with berry borer disease.

As the growers could not get the necessary ‘medicine’ prescribed by the Coffee Board, some have started spraying endosulfan to control the berry borer, said some coffee growers. In some parts of the taluk, coffee beans have started falling owing to cold. “In Mekanagadde, Urubage, Bairapura, Devavrinda, Kumbaradi, Bakkadi, Moolarahalli, Guthihalli and Hosahalli, along with coffee beans, even leaves have fallen. In this situation, how can we repay the loans borrowed from the banks,” asks Horata Samithi convener Lakshman Kumar.

On the one hand, rains, and on the other hand, berry borer and pressure from banks to repay loan is increasing. Coffee Board, Centre and State governments are not coming to the rescue of the farmers. Mounting pressure from evironmentalists not to use endosulfan too has been a cause for concern among the growers.